The First Masters of Spinjitsu
by LadyMarissaGarmadon
Summary: Masuta was the creator of Ninjago & it's protector who has lived for over five thousand years. He had two sons; Garmadon & Wu who he trained in the art of Spinjitsu. Over the years he had a total of six students; they would be the First Masters of Spinjitsu, the next protectors of the land. Follow their story from kids to the glory days, before their perfect life was destroyed.
1. Prologue

**Okay so this story is a far better back story and this one is geared to follow cannon as much a as possible with my own headcannons and others' that I liked. **

**There will also be many villains taken from the comics like "Stone Cold". The only actually 'OC' is the idea of the Phantom Ninja training with Garmadon, Misako, and Wu. Then there are the half OCs such as Kai's parents who are pretty prominent in this story. **

**So I hope that you enjoy this, I plan on making long and hopefully focusing on the other three characters besides Garmadon, Wu, and Misako respectively :)**

* * *

_I heard a funny thing once; an old tale that the master use to tell the six of us as young children. It was a beautiful, yet tragic story about the sun and the moon and the love that they shared. _

_The sun was impulsive; with a burning passion and desire to live. _

_The moon was quiet; she was graceful with gentleness in her heart. _

_The sun, he rose and lit the day and moon, she came out at night to light the dark sky. They only ever saw each other once, when the sky was gold and for a brief time, they shared time together._

_I learned that the sun loved the moon so much; he let himself die every day just to see the moon breathe, for he loved her very deeply though they only spent fleeting moments together. _

_The story always stuck with me when I grew up and trained with my friends. I never knew why the story meant so much to me, especially when I looked at the master's son. He was older than me by five months and still we were like twins._

_But then as I trained and fought, I learned about the balance of nature. Yin and Yang were the light and the dark sides of the scale of power. _

_As ninja, we protect it with our lives for one slip up, one wrong move, and not only can we could suffer greatly, we could put other's in dangers as well._

_We ignored it though. _

_We missed the signs and when you commit a crime, you must pay for what you did. _

_What we did was no crime though, it was merely love._

_I thought that love had no punishment. It was something all humans feel at least once in their lives. _

_But it is, especially when you stand on one side, and the one you love is dragged to the other side against his will. _

_Life is such a dangerous game when you are like us. You hold so much power inside of you, you think you are a god, but you are still just a mortal._

_They say that power corrupts; but I like to think that it just enables a wicked heart._

_I sometimes wonder though why the man I loved had to have one. _

_But he is not wicked, he is merely tainted by the only one created to be evil since the dawn of Ninjago itself._

_And I know that my love is always somewhere inside of him because he is Garmadon and I know he will always overcome his obstacles._

**So this was obviously from Misako's POV... **

**I have a whole line up of villains and adventures so sit back and I hope you enjoy the story! **

**~Mar**


	2. Brother of Mine

Two brunettes stood side by side in white gis, barefoot like the man who was instructing them. The boy had a blue lotus crest on his top and the girl had one in green.

"Now my students; pay close attention," The Spinjitsu master spoke to his two young children watching him as he showed them the right form and stance.

Misako looked over as Garmadon stood, slouching with a hint of boredom in his dark eyes. She knew that he would much rather do something more interesting than learning martial art basics. They were almost four years old after all.

Her wide, emerald colored eyes looked back to their master, trying to pay attention for he was not always a patient man.

"Are you two listening to me?" The boy and girl looked up innocently at the tall man. He sighed, "Why don't you take a break? We can continue this in a minute while I check on your mother… Run along". He shooed his son and friend off.

The two ran across the stone courtyard and started to climb the big tree that was off to the side against the high, stone wall. Garmadon reached the top first and extended his small hand to his friend.

She took it and pulled herself up; sitting on the limb next to him, "I think you should listen more to him…" Misako quietly kicked her legs in the air. "You're lucky your father is so patient though… and that your parents are always around".

The boy laughed, "Nah…" he sat back against the trunk. "Why do we have to do this?" he looked down at the pavement.

"Because we're gonna be ninja stupid," she shoved him a little, giggling. She stood up and started picking cherries off the trees with her small hands.

Garmadon didn't laugh with her, "So… when do you think my mom's gonna have my brother?" he asked, looking at the sliding doors his father disappeared behind. "My dad keeps telling me any day now…"

Misako toyed with her short twin braids and shrugged, "I don't know…" She yawned and looked up at the sun, squinting, "Wanna go inside? It's hot out and I'm thirsty…" she popped two more cherries in her mouth and started climbing back down the wide trunk, her hands scraping on the rough bark.

She dusted her hands off on her white gi and was followed by Garmadon.

They climbed the steps onto the wooden deck and heard screaming from inside. The two friends looked at each other and rushed inside.

They poked through the doorway into his mother's room. Garmadon saw his mother was lying back against her pillows, holding a small, white bundle in her pale arms.

Delilah looked at the doorway and saw their two sets of eyes peering inside and weakly smiled at them.

"You may come in," she nodded.

Misako stood next to the nightstand and Garmadon sat on the bed, next to his mother. He looked at the little, pink face poking through the blankets. "His name is Wu," she said.

The older brother looked down curiously. He had never seen a baby up close before, until now. He half smiled. Delilah ruffled Garmadon's dark hair, "Go on… you can go back to playing…" she tiredly said, looking at Misako.

"You're so lucky you have a sibling…" Misako smiled sitting on the edge of the shingled roof. "My mom and dad… well… they told me I was enough…" she looked down.

The darker haired boy smiled and laid back, looking at the sun, "Do you really think we'll become ninja?" he closed his eyes.

"Oh yes…" she nodded. "And we'll be the new masters of Spinjitsu".

**Thanks for clicking on this story and reading :) This one is so gon be a doozy... on chapter 20 sort of... I'm so excited to use villains from Stone Cold, you have no idea how much I am enjoying this! **

**The first couple of chapters I think were pretty cute being they're all little kids :3**

**~Mar**


	3. Abandoned

"Hi-ya!" Misako swung her short leg around. Garmadon slid underneath, foot colliding with her narrow ankle, knocking her off her feet and laughed.

The back of her head hit the pavement and she groaned. "That's enough, Garmadon wins!" his father quickly said, looking to see how fast she would recover.

Garmadon pulled her to her feet and laughed again, "Got ya real good Mimi".

The lighter haired girl frowned and folded her arms. "Yea well… you cheated!" she looked away, not accepting the loss.

"Masuta, get Wu," Delilah hurried after the four year old.

The Spinjitsu Master picked up his youngest son and smile, "Are you ready now to practice Wu?" The small blonde slowly nodded and his father set him down on his two feet. "Okay you two, take a rest, your mother is coming to pick you up in an hour".

"Thanks master," Misako ran inside first.

Garmadon ran ahead of her and grabbed her hand, "man I wish you could stay over another night!" he dragged her into his room. "I hate it when your parents take you back…"

Misako shrugged, "It's not like we don't see each other a lot anyways… you know I'll probably be back tomorrow or something…" she sighed, flopping on his bed. "You know my parents… always running off without me…"

"Well… they don't know how smart and cool you are," Garmadon flopped next to her. "One day I hope they're gonna stop digging in the dirt for old junk and care…"

"They do… they just… well… like what they do for a living…" she rolled her eyes.

Touko and Marcus Alexander were archeologists and spent more time away than actually at home with their daughter. When she was young though, Masuta saw her and approached them about sensing something special about her.

Of course they let her train with them and Delilah wanted nothing more than to have Misako stay over anytime they left for work. If the older woman had it her way, she'd adopt the little girl without hesitation. It started becoming more regular, for months at a time Misako learned that the monastery was more her home than the house she lived in with her parents in Ninjago City.

As they walked through the halls of the monastery, they heard the phone ring in the other room. Delilah picked it up, "Oh… really? She was looking forward to seeing you again… okay, I'll get her on the phone… Misako!"

The girl with the braids groaned and got up and took the bulky phone, "Mom?" Garmadon watched her with a sad face. "Why can't you guys come back yet?" she went silent, listening to her mother on the other end. "I haven't seen you guys in three months… You missed my birthday…"

He could see the tears pricking her eyes, "I know you guys found a bunch of relics… I don't care if there's too much snow!" Her face turned red. "Well I hope you're both happy just abandoning me here for months at a time!" She angrily hung the phone on the receiver and was shaking.

Before Garmadon or his mom could say anything she bolted out of the room, down the steps, through the courtyard past Masuta, and slammed the doors behind her, wiping her eyes as her bare feet padded down the stone steps of the monastery.

"Don't you go after her!" Delilah shouted as her oldest son ran out as well. "GARMADON!" both shouted after him. "YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED OUTSIDE ON YOUR OWN!"

"MISAKO!" Garmadon shouted as loud as he could; reaching the bottom of the steps of the mountain and wandered through the small forest that would eventually open, out to the suburban end of Ninjago City.

He heard rustling and looked up at the trees. He heard movement coming from a cherry blossom tree and quickly climbed it. "Mimi!" he breathed. His face was red from exhaustion.

"Why are you here?!" she shook.

"To find you dummy!" he squatted on the limb he was on and tilted his head. "Come on… come back… we're your home…"

Misako shook her head and looked back with her bloodshot eyes, "You don't get it… your parents are always around and would never ship you off like my does… I barely get to see them!" She shook her head and climbed up to a higher branch, wanting to be alone. "Spinjitsu gods… I barely know them!"

Garmadon wouldn't take no for an answer and followed her higher and higher up the big tree until there was nowhere else to go. "Come home…" he hugged her tightly. "You are the only friend I ever had…"

Misako sniffed and hugged him back. "Okay…" she nodded. "You are too…" she smiled.

**Well, VBS is almost done... also... I got a copy of Tomodotchi Life... it is my newest addiction...**

**Well, thanks fro reading :) I look forward to posting more on this one...**

**~Mar**


	4. Bitten

Delilah kissed the top of both her sons' heads, "We'll be back later," she took Misako's hand and walked out the monastery doors to go into town.

Masuta looked at both of his sons, "Why don't you two have a spar? I haven't seen you both do it in a while," he looked at the sword rack, thinking something over for a few moments, "You may use the special swords, but you must take care of them," he walked inside, "I will be in the library and try not to really injure each other".

Garmadon and Wu looked at one another and grinned. When their father went inside, they ran over to the sword rack and the taller brother carefully gave it to his brother and took the other for himself.

They trotted over to the center of the courtyard and stood, back to back, swords upright and out of their sheaths.

"One… two… three…" Garmadon quietly counted and they spun around, steel clashing against the other.

Garmadon was obviously faster and stronger than his five year old brother, but nonetheless, he went easy on him like any older sibling would do and used one arm while Wu stuck with both small hands on the hilt.

Wu's grip wasn't all that good though as one sweeping motion from his brother sent the sword flying through the air, and landed beyond the wall outside the gates.

The two brothers looked at one another with pale faces and swallowed. Their father told them to be careful with the swords not five minutes ago, and they just disobeyed that condition. "Come on Wu, go get it…"

The short blonde looked up at the high walls and shrank back, shaking his head, "We aren't allowed outside without mommy or daddy…" he squeaked.

"Well we can't ask dad to get it because he will be mad, and mommy's not here to keep it a secret for us," Garmadon stepped up to the high, red gates of the monastery and looked back at Wu, beckoning him to come with him. "I'll go out with you if it makes you feel any better… and if we're caught say it was my idead."

The younger shook his head again, "Well then fine… but you should know little brother, never put off tomorrow what can be done today," he tried to sound older and wiser and opened the gates to fetch the sword.

He looked around the shrubbery at the edges of the walls and spied a sliver glint. He got down on his knees and found his brother's katana underneath a cluster of bushes. He reached his hand under to grab it.

When his small hand closed around the hilt of the sword, he felt a sharp pinch and jerked his hand back out. "OW!" he clapped his hand over his mouth.

He looked at his hand and saw the two puncture wounds in his hand. Blood started dripping out and he tried to force himself to not cry but it stung like hell.

He lay on the grass as the pains shot through his hand and then up his arms, slowly radiating through his whole body and he started sweating. He turned his head and saw something thin and green wormed its way out of the bushes. "What the-?" he wiped one eye with his good hand.

"BROTHER!" Wu ran out quickly. "He's out here!" he looked behind him.

The little snake Garmadon saw had vanished and he assumed it was probably a hallucination. Masuta picked his son up and brought him into his room and started looking him over as the eight year old groaned.

"Wu's fault…" he shook his head. "It's his fault…"

Then he saw the hand. "Son… what gave this to you?" he pressed on one of the puncture wounds.

"OW!" Garmadon shouted.

Wu peeked inside, scared of what was happening to his brother. The brunette opened his eyes, "It's all Wu's fault!" he shouted angrily, he dark blue eyes flickering bright red.

Wu's round, blue eyes widened in terror and he ran down the hallway and hid under his bed, scared to see his brother after what he just said. It wasn't false though, Wu didn't go out with him to fetch his weapon.

He poked his head out when he heard the front gates lock. "We're back!" Then the footsteps of Masuta's wood sandals clacking on the wood floor came.

The shoji doors slid open and he must have told his mother what happened because she dropped whatever she was holding and ran inside, followed by the softer footsteps of Misako.

"My son…" Delilah touched Garmadon's face gently. "He's burning up…"

"I know…" Masuta quietly said.

Misako looked up at both adults, starting to feel scared. She sat up on the bed and held her friend's hand. "Garmadon? Are you okay?" she frowned. "Wake up please…" she quietly said as his parents were talking in the corner of the room.

"Hmm?" he opened his tired eyes and looked up at her. "H-hi…" he swallowed. "My head hurts…" he groaned.

Misako threw herself on him and squeezed him. "You'll be okay…" she smiled and sniffed. "Just stay down and rest okay?" he set his head back on the pillow and nodded.

**I getting pumped about this story too now XD So far I haven't gotten a lot of reviews or likes and stuff... so I wonder if anyone's really paying attention to this story XD Figures when I try and balance out OC and more cannon character stories no one is watching XD**

**Thanks if you are reading ;) I appreciate it. **

**~Mar**


	5. Secret

Nine candles on the birthday cake and only four others at her small party. Misako closed her eyes and blew the last candle, making the wish she made every year since she met Garmadon's family.

"What do you wish for every year?" Wu asked out of nowhere when the three were sitting under the draping cherry blossom tree in the courtyard. Garmadon flicked his brother in the temple. "OW!" he cried. "Why did you do that!?" he whimpered.

"You don't ask stupid stuff like that!" Garmadon growled.

The green eyes girl looked down and brought her knees up, "It's okay…" she shifted her shoulders. "I just… I wish that my parents would be home more often… this is the third birthday they missed in a row…" she tucked her light brown hair behind her ear and shrugged. "It doesn't matter though…"

"Does too matter!" Garmadon lightly punched her in the shoulder. "You're parents are frikkin jerks and you need to accept it. No one leaves their kid behind like that! If you do then you should just die."

Misako looked over at him and wiped her eyes, "… wish my dad heard you say that…" she tried to laugh, "He would smack you for talking like that to him…"

"Then I guess I'd get smacked every time I saw him!" he folded his arms.

Wu sat in silence. It was almost like he wasn't even there to his brother. He stood up and put his hands in his pant pockets, "I'm… gonna go inside…" she shuffled out.

Wu wandered down the hallway and then heard quiet talking coming from the other side of the door to his parent's room.

"I wish you would have told me sooner Lilah…"

"I didn't want to worry you Masuta… I'm sorry…"

Wu frowned. _"What are they talking about?"_

"How long do you… have?"

He heard his mother whimper, probably crying, "They said I have two months… maybe three…" Wu's light blue eyes widened. "Please don't tell the boys… especially Garmadon…"

"They'll find out eventually-"

"And why worry them now? Please pretend everything is okay? Do it for them…"

"If you told me sooner I might have been able to help you… you know I could have done something…"

"I'm sorry…"

Wu backed from the door, heart racing. _"What did they mean by that?" _He was about to turn and run when the door opened and Wu fell on his butt.

Masuta looked down at his youngest son. He looked angry at first but sighed and picked him up and held him close. "Wu… what did you hear?"

"All of it…" he whispered, burying his face in his father's tan shirt.

Masuta sighed again and looked back at his son's matching blue eyes, "Do not tell your brother this… do you understand me? Not now at least". He gave a small smile, "It'll be our little secret… okay?"

"Yes sir…" Wu swallowed and nodded quickly, wiping the tears from his eyes.

**I have no comment other than sorry this one was short... they get hella long, trust me...**

**Thanks for reading... **

**~Mar**


	6. It's Called Love

Masuta stood, holding each son's hand and Garmadon held Misako's hand as they stared at the tombstone. "Why did you not tell me?" Garmadon quietly said. There was silent anger in his voice.

"Garmadon…" Misako whispered, afraid he would start yelling.

He looked up when his father did not answer, brushing her aside and jerking his hand away from his father, "Why?" His eyes were shining red.

"Because she loved you so much she begged me not to tell you for you would worry the whole time she had left… she wanted each day you had left with her to be normal for you two".

"If I knew she was dying… I could have shared and asked everything I wanted with her… you denied me that…"

"I cannot help it of you take what you love for granted…"

Garmadon looked back at the grave and started shaking. It was getting even darker out as clouds rolled in. "Come inside… you'll get wet…" Masuta said.

"Just leave me alone…" Garmadon turned away.

The older man took Misako's hand and led her and Wu inside. Garmadon wiped his eyes and sat in the dirt as he felt the drizzle start. "Why didn't you tell me mommy?" he wiped his eyes more as tears started forming.

_"And this one is-"_

_"An Anacondrai," Garmadon piped, pointing to the picture. _

_Delilah hugged him tightly and kissed the top of his head, "Yes, that's right sweetie," she brushed his hair down. "You're so smart"._

_"Mommy, how do you know so much about creatures?" he sat up on his knees._

_She laughed and kissed his nose, leaning against the pillows on her bed. "Well that's easy, it's because your daddy helped me to be a ninja… just like he's gonna teach you and Misako, and you baby brother to do the same"._

_"Mommy… can you never die?" he fell forward and hugged, careful not to squish her stomach. _

_She laughed and tilted her head, "Well… no one can live forever sweetheart…" she kissed his forehead. _

_"Daddy can!" _

_"No, daddy is every ounce vulnerable as you or I…" she closed her mouth trying to be serious with him, "You can't run around thinking no one can hurt you… because they can… anyone can if you let them… but you're training to be a ninja and that means that you and Misako will become guardians for people who are being hurt by bad people… okay?"_

_"Yea okay," Garmadon smiled and kissed her cheek. He looked down, "But I'm gonna become the most strongest ninja ever!" he laughed. _

_Delilah shook her head and smiled, "You sound just like him now…"_

"I know ya told me that everybody dies… but… you didn't have to lie to me for two months!" he shouted at her headstone.

His face was numb with tears and he started shaking as a burning feeling spread throughout his small body. He gave another rage filled scream.

Misako looked through the window and saw him throwing a fit. She looked down at her mug of cocoa and stood up. She put her jacket and scarf back on and went back outside.

Garmadon was sitting in mud, head hung. She kneeled next to him and offered him a mug, holding an umbrella over the both of them. He didn't respond so she nudged her body against his side. He looked up and wiped his nose on his sleeve and she offered a small smile.

He looked up at her and gingerly took the mug, sniffling. "I'm sorry…" she hugged him with her one arm.

It took him a few moments to register affection or physical contact such as this but he raised one arm and hugged her back. "Thanks Mimi…" they leaned against each other, shoulder to shoulder, sitting in the dirt.

Wu curiously looked outside too at Misako's profile. "How can she be so kind daddy?" he quietly asked. "Brother was just raging and crying and now… she made him stop…"

Masuta looked at his blonde son, "Because… it's called love and Misako is a girl full of it…" He picked Wu up and hugged him. "And… you know… Garmadon was very close with your mother... especially before you were born…"

The small blonde looked back again at the two sitting under the umbrella. He then looked at Misako's distant figure and tilted his head with a smile.

**This is another favorite to write :3**

**Thanks for reading**

**~Mar**


	7. Kasai and Namiko

Wu trailed behind the two older kids as they headed down the mountain to run an errand for their father. It was the first official time they were leaving the monastery unsupervised. Wu couldn't help but feel excited.

"Will ya shut up already about it?" Garmadon rolled his head back, growing tired of the eight year old's constant yammering.

When they got into town Garmadon pulled out a list, "Okay… Wu… why don't you stay here and we'll handle this…"

"Okay!" Wu looked around, distracted by the other people shopping and going about their business.

"And don't run off! I won't come after you if you get lost or if someone kidnaps you!" Misako flinched at his harsh tone. It'd been two years since their mother died and Garmadon grew more irritated than ever. "Come on Mimi…"

They walked into the market and Misako looked at the list, "Okay… looks like we're picking up some milk… rice…" she looked at the neat handwriting. "Well, let's start with that… let's hurry though, okay?" She didn't want Wu getting into any trouble.

Wu wasn't doing anything really, just sitting on a bench looking bored. He finally stood up and started going through his forms mindlessly while waiting for his older brother.

"Get back here Kasai!" the blonde jerked up with see a boy with shaggy black hair running through.

Kasai looked back and laughed, "Sorry Veronica but not today!" He held up a bag of candy and winked at the older girl yelling after him.

He knocked into Wu and the two looked at each other, "Hey kid, come on!" he grabbed Wu's hand and dragged him along as the girl named Veronica chased them.

"Where are we going?" the blue eyed boy blinked.

"Name's Kasai!" he looked back. "How 'bout you?"

"Uh… Wu?" Wu blinked, still not understanding where Kasai was going that he somehow got brought into.

"Namiko!" He banged on a door.

"Again!?" A girl his age, with long, brown hair and milky brown eyes sighed. She looked down the alley and shook her head. "Come on!" She pulled both boys inside and locked the door. "Kasai you really get into too much trouble!"

"Nami; Wu, Wu; Nami!" Kasai grinned. Wu noticed he seemed to ignore the most of what people said to him.

Namiko shook her head. "Well, hiya Wu… sorry Kas dragged you along… he does that every so often…" she apologized for her friend's actions.

"Who are you two exactly?" the eight year old blonde asked.

Kasai sat on a stool, "Well I'm an orphan and Namiko's dad runs a pub here!" he held his hands out. "Though… he doesn't really like me," he scratched the back of his head, blushing. "Ever since I stole that bottle of liquor anyways…"

Namiko rolled her eyes, "He tried looking out for you and you ignored him! 'Course he's mad at you!"

Wu sighed, "Sorry to hear that… but… I need to get back to where I was… you see… my older brother and friend told me to not move from where I was and I'm sure they'll be really mad if they don't find me there…"

* * *

Garmadon and Misako stood side by side in the small park area, each holding a bag. "I'm gonna kill him…" Garmadon narrowed his eyes.

Misako side glanced, "Well…" she let out a breath, "Better start looking for him…" she hung her head and started to ask people if they'd seen the younger brother.

"Namiko!" The brunette jumped to her feet at the sound of her name.

"What is it papa!?" she shouted back.

"Do you have friends over?" he asked, hearing the others talking.

She looked alarmed, "Uh… just my new friend Wu!" she bit her lip. It wasn't a total lie after all.

There was a short silence before he answered, "Okay!" The three breathed. She looked at Kasai's bag, "What dija swipe this time?" she grabbed it from him. She dug her hand in and pulled out a cluster of candy.

"Yuck! Taffy? Why would you even?" she shook her head. "You know I-" Kasai whipped out a candy bar with a smirk and she frowned and took it, "That's more like it…"

Wu looked out the window, "Oh… it must be four o'clock… my father wanted us back by now!" he started pulling on his short hair nervously.

"WU!"

"And now my brother's gonna kill me!" he cried next.

Another bang on the door and Namiko held her hand up. She walked over to the door carefully. "Hello?" No one was there at first; then a taller man kicked the door in. Namiko slid back on the wooden floor, feet planted firmly.

"Hey kiddos… hand over the cash box wouldja?" he held a sword out.

Wu and Kasai seemed to be stunned as Namiko stood her ground. She reached into the pockets of her long, red skirt and pulled out two fans. "Come then," she flicked them open, "Take it from me!"

Misako stopped in her tracks and looked around curiously, "Do you hear… fighting?"

Garmadon stopped too and looked down the alley, "Come on," he grabbed her wrist. Inside they found what they were looking for and more.

Wu back flipped out of the way and fell into a crouch and Kasai jumped off his back and whipped a sword around as Namiko swept the man off his feet from underneath.

"What the hell is this!?" Garmadon looked around. Misako covered her face. "I can't believe you got some action without me!" He shoved his bag into Misako's arms and ran in.

The green eyed girl shook her head and sighed, "This isn't a game!" the eleven year old hopped angrily.

They knocked the intruder to the ground as a steps came down the wooden staircase. "Namiko! What the hell is that awful racket?" A man with a cane stopped when he saw the five standing over a knocked out robber. "NAMIKO!"

"Papa! He was trying to steal our money!" she closed her fans and pocketed them quickly. "… and Kasai and… our new friends helped too…" she tucked some hair behind her ears and looked at her feet. She looked up again. "I know you don't like it… but I love to fight anyways," she shrugged with a half smile.

Misako looked at Kasai and Namiko, "Why… don't you two come to live with us?" The two turned around. "We have plenty of room… and Master Masuta would be perfectly fine with it…"

"As in… the first Spinjitsu Master?"

Garmadon and Wu nodded, "Yea… he's our dad…" Wu held his hands behind his back nervously.

Namiko's father looked at his daughter for a few seconds as she had her pleading eyes beg him to let her go with them. He sighed, "Fine… but you better visit Nami".

She flung her arms around him, "I will! I promise papa!" she ran upstairs and grabbed a small bag and rushed back down. "Ready!" she giggled.

* * *

Masuta looked at the two newcomers and them and Misako and his sons, "So you two want to learn our special arts?"

Namiko and Kasai kneels and nodded, "Please sir?"

He nodded and smiled, "Of course, welcome to the monastery young ones".

They stood up and Misako and Wu happily led them inside to their new rooms where they would be staying. "You three had an interesting day then… I am happy you made some new friends," he nodded to Garmadon.

"Whatever…" the older brunette shoved past him and hopped inside.

**This was a combination of two chapters... I felt they were too short apart... I've been combining several chapters... Would you believe I have over 30 right now? **

**I hope I don't make it too long...**

**Thank you to you few who read this story... you make me very happy if you do C:)**

**~Mar**


	8. The New Boy in Town

The five children sat around the table, it had been six months since Namiko and Kasai joined the monastery and learned from Masuta. Wu and Kasai were especially friendly same with the girls.

Garmadon was really the only one who didn't really gravitate to anyone besides Misako, same as any other day. He quietly picked at his rice as they talked around him.

"So… what's your story Misako?" Kasai asked. "Never really knew why you're here…"

Misako was quietly braiding her hair and looked up and the brown eyed boy, "Well… my parents were friends with Garmadon's… mom… but they're archeologists and are never around… I lived here most of my life…" she looked at Garmadon and smiled, "I can't think of home being anywhere better though…"

Garmadon's avoided her eyes and turned away, embarrassingly blushing.

Kasai nodded, "Yea… my mom and I were on our own… don't know where pop ran off to but we were pretty fine on our own… then mom… well… a bandit killed her…" he looked at his hands. "I was lucky Namiko was nice enough to help me, even when her father thought I was nothin' but trouble…"

The two smiled at each other and looked at Namiko, "What's your story then?" Wu asked the other older girl.

She smiled, "Well, my mom is still alive… she and papa… well split… around two years ago too… she didn't like papa runnin' a bar but I ran away from her and came back to him". She laughed, "Betcha she's still mad! Surprised she hasn't come lookin for me yet!"

"Well good morning," The five looked up at Masuta. "You all look well today… we will begin training at noon".

He walked past the dining room and into the library. "I always wanted to go in there," Wu whispered. "But he never lets anyone…"

"Peculiar ain't it?" Kasai's brown eyes flashed. "What'ya suppose is in there?"

"We shouldn't go looking for trouble," Namiko paled. "We could get kicked out!" she covered her mouth.

Garmadon pushed his chair back and stood up. "Come on… let's go down into town until training… it's getting dull around here…"

Misako followed him first and then Wu, Namiko, and Kasai. No need to tell Masuta because he already stated that they were free to go down whenever they felt like it now.

"I'm gonna visit papa," Namiko ran off. "I'll meet up with you guys later!" she waved behind her.

The other four stood, thinking of what to do next, "Hey come on, I'll teach you guys how to steal some candy…" Kasai laughed.

Wu frowned, "Ninja don't steal Kas…"

The brunette boy shrugged with a smirk, "Suit yourselves!" He laughed and was about to run off when Garmadon grabbed him by his shirt collar. Kasai kicked and tried to pull away but the older boy kept a tight grip and gave up.

"Skeletons!" The four jumped when a couple of young kids screamed it, running into the market area and hid behind couple of men.

The four looked at each other and started out to find the Underworld monsters. They found the creatures marching through the town and the three boys stood ready for a fight. Misako was behind them and shook her head.

"What makes you think we fight them!? We're twelve and nine and we can't use Spinjitsu yet!" she tried to drag them out of the idea of fighting.

Garmadon looked back at Misako and smirked, "If I manage to scare them off, you can kiss me for savin' your butt," he laughed.

Misako blushed angrily and folded her arms, "Fine then!" she nodded. "I am so telling Masuta though!"

The three boys were about to charge in when a cloud of pale blue smoke erupted in the center of the group of Skulkin.

The three boys froze in their stances and stared, wide eyed at what was happening. Misako flinched when something fast breezed by her and the Skulkin started shouting in terror. "RUN!" One of them shouted and retreated back.

When the smoke cleared, a boy about twelve stood in the center. He wore gray and lavender clothing with a kerchief covering his mouth.

He had pale gray eyes and short, black hair. He stood up and looked back at the four kids. Garmadon's mouth hung open and Kasai shut it as he walked by. "That was incredible! How didja do that!?"

Wu and Misako trotted over too and started asking him questions. "What's your name? Are you from around here?" Misako politely asked.

He lowered his purple kerchief around his neck, "My name is Tanaka, I am from a Village on this small island actually… it's called Yosho Island," he scratched the back of his head. "I came here to seek the great Spinjitsu Master so I may train under him".

Wu had a grin creep on his face, "Lucky for you; he is our dad!" he tugged on his frozen brother's tunic happily. "Right brother?"

Garmadon was not responding and Misako elbowed him in the stomach and he wheezed. "Wuh? Ya…" he rubbed where it hurt. "One big happy family we are… us and that old man," he muttered.

"After Namiko comes back from her dad's we can go back and you can ask him yourself," Kasai looked around for his second best friend.

"We can go over there now and tell her we're going back," Misako started down the street that led to Namiko's house with the boys quickly following her. Tanaka slowly started after them with hopes that the Spinjitsu Master really would accept him like the others said.

**Tanaka is the last student to be introduced in this story :) Hope you will like him ^-^ **

**Thanks for reading ;D**

**~Mar**


	9. Thief in the Night

Without hesitation in his voice, Masuta accepted Tanaka as another student. Turns out, the young boy grew up with his grandparents and were unaware of his real parents' whereabouts.

He was also a very fast learner and it gave Garmadon more focus in his training so he would always be the best. Misako constantly worried about that trait in her good friend.

Tanaka seemed to fit right in with the group anyways. He was rather silent despite Wu's constant attempts to be chatty with him. Kasai had a mutual silent friendship it seemed and Namiko and he seemed enjoy their tea together.

Then Misako never really associated with the quiet, strange boy and Garmadon tried to make a rival out of the passive kid.

"Goodnight," Masuta told the six as he retired to his room for the night.

Misako shared the room that she had since she was young with Namiko and Kasai slept in Wu's room. Garmadon was forced by his father to share his room with Tanaka until the room they used for storage could be cleaned out.

All was silent as they tried to sleep. Wu and Kasai tried to be as quiet as possible but being their room was right next to Garmadon's he was growing irritated again.

"You should not be so mad at your brother…" Tanaka quietly said, facing the wall on the floor.

The brunette rolled his red eyes, "Didn't ask for your opinion Tana…"

Tanaka sat up, "You do not like me much do you?" he raised an eyebrow, sitting up.

"Gee… how did you come up with that one?" he glared at the newer student.

The black haired boy sighed and shook his head slowly, "I-" his head lifted up. Garmadon looked at him and then the door, "Someone who should not be here is in the weapon room…"

The two scrambled up out of their beds and rushed into the room to find it so. A teenager in black clothes held the sword of fire in his hand, looking it over with a greedy glint in his eye. He seemed to not know anyone was standing behind him and collected the scythe next.

Garmadon's mouth twisted down and he cracked his knuckles, "Get out of my house!" he pointed.

The teenager turned around quickly and then laughed, "Oh good… just a couple of kids…" he leaned against the wall. His dark blue eyes narrowed. "Run along now kiddies, I'll just be on my way-"

"Brother!" Wu and Kasai slid in next. "What's… oh no…" The blonde shrunk down and hid behind Garmadon.

"We got a thief…" Garmadon smirked and folded his arms. "The old man won't like that… and there are four of us and one of you!"

The thief stepped forward, "Well it's a good thing I'm bigger and tougher than a bunch of brats!"

Tanaka sighed, "You do realize, since the Golden Weapons are here… we are the Spinjitsu Master's students?"

The other went to say something and shut his mouth instead because the thought never occurred to him. More footsteps creaked down the hall and Misako and Namiko, in their long nighties came in, wiping their eyes because they just woke up.

"What's going on?" Namiko yawned. She opened her brown eyes and squeaked. "EE! Thief!" she grabbed Tanaka's arm nervously. Kasai frowned at the gesture.

Misako was fully awake after Namiko's high pitch shrill. She looked behind her, down at the hall to see if Masuta had awoken and was coming in as well. Surprisingly, he didn't which was peculiar since his senses were far better than any of their own. She thought she heard something though but turned back to the thief.

"Put the weapons down please…" They turned around, startled. The teenager gripped the sword of fire tightly.

"Dad…" Wu smiled as everyone scrambled to get behind the old man.

Masuta walked in front of the kids. "What is your name boy?"

The tall teen with black hair and blue eyes looked down, "Sigan…" he grimaced.

Masuta slowly nodded, "Sigan… for whatever reason you have to steal my weapons, it is not good… if you are homeless then I my permit you to stay here…"

Sigan stood upright and started laughing, "Sorry old dude… but why would I ever do that? I can hock these stupid things and be set for life!"

The six kids knew what would come next and Masuta stalked forward with an unreadable face. He looked down at the shorter Sigan who swallowed. "Well then boy… I created the land on which you walk on… I hold enough power to destroy this world and everyone in it… drop the sword and scythe".

The weapons clattered to the ground and Sigan was thrown out of the monastery. "I'll be back _Spinjitsu Master…_"

**Haha, so Sigan will be back... My dad liked his name when I was talking about this story with him XD Just to let people know... Sigan is Korean for Time... **

**This story is so long already... I may have to combine more chapters O_o **

**Thanks for reading :3**

**~Mar**


	10. Hurt

Kasai and Namiko sat and watched Misako, Garmadon, Wu, and Tanaka watch Masuta demonstrate the full motion of Spinjitsu. Namiko had broken her foot the day prior from trying to create the full spin motion without shoes on. Kasai was simply helping her around.

From inside the phone rang and Misako's ears perked up. She looked inside and then back at Masuta who nodded and she ran through the ankle deep snow, up the deck stairs, through the doors.

She picked up the phone and the fifteen year old answered, "Hello?" she smiled. "Mom?" She felt joy swelling inside. "Are you coming home yet because… sixteenth birthday is tomorrow…" She bit her lip, hoping she would say yes.

_"No… sorry Misako"_

"What do you mean no? Why not?"

_"We stumbled across a huge skeleton! The museum is giving us more funding! We're going to be for even longer now! Isn't it exciting dear?!"_

"NO!" Misako shouted. "No it's not! The last time I saw you, I was fourteen… okay? You are never there for me! Ever!"

Tanaka, Kasai, and Namiko looked inside and heard the yelling. Masuta covered his face and sighed. "What's wrong with her? Who's she yelling at?"

Wu held his hands behind his back, "Misako's parents… they keep getting funding and don't come back very often… especially now".

Garmadon looked back and then ran forward, rushing inside to see Misako about ready to hang up on them, "NO! As far as I'm concerned, Masuta and Delilah are… were more of a mother and father than you two ever will be!" she screamed and slammed the phone on the receiver.

She looked up with tears in her eyes at Garmadon. She tried to ask if he heard everything but couldn't find any more words in her throat. He slowly nodded, answering the question in her mind.

Her emerald eyes released the rest of her tears and she ran into his arms and sobbed. He didn't say anything and just stood there. He then wrapped his arms around her, running one hand through her loose hair.

Wu went inside too and squeezed his arms around her as well. "We're your family… never forget that Mimi…" he quietly said. The twelve year old Wu whispered.

"Yea… we'll always love you…" Garmadon said moments after, he didn't really care that his younger brother came in and joined the hug.

Misako tried to smile, looking down at Wu. She managed to ruffle Wu's hair a little. She finally looked up at Garmadon's pale face and he wiped the tears droplets that gathered around her eyes. She never realized it before but he was handsome; looking just like Delilah did before she died.

She found it harder to breathe and fell forward again. He sighed and picked her up, carrying her past Wu to her own room and placed on the bed. He was about to leave to go back outside when she grabbed his wrist.

Wu had slowly walked back outside and sat, cross legged next to Kasai and Tanaka while Namiko was playing with one of her fans, moving it in a slicing motion to build her arm strength more.

"I wonder if Misako's okay still…" Wu brought his knees up and looked back at the doors.

Kasai laughed, "Oh no… Wu and Misako sitting in a tree; k-i-s-s-i-n-g," he sang like an immature child.

Wu blushed, "Well… soon I'm gonna ask her out!" Wu held his head up. "She likes me… I already can tell…"

Tanaka frowned, "While I enjoy your optimism Wu… she seems dangerously close to your brother for you two to be anything more than an older sister and younger brother…"

"But they've been friends since they were little and still are!" Wu waved it off. "I'm telling you she likes me…" he leaned back.

Kasai and Tanaka exchanged worry glances, afraid to tell him that it was mostly likely the opposite.

* * *

After the others were done with training, they had free time before dinner. Masuta quietly opened Misako's door and found her sleeping with his son, tightly hugging. He frowned for a moment but closed the door again to leave them.

Wu was coming though and the Spinjitsu Master bit his lip. He was on his way to check up on her. He didn't want Wu to be hurt, but he needed to accept reality if this was where their hearts lie.

Masuta stepped to the side and patted Wu on the head. The thirteen year old opened the door and froze.

His brother and Misako were waking up and did not notice the younger brother was even there at first. Wu coughed and they looked at him. "Are you okay?"

Misako swallowed and nodded, "Yes… thank you Wu…" she smiled. Her beautiful green eyes were still red and a little puffy though.

Wu's blue eyes lifted up to look at his brother's red eyes. "Glad to hear… I'll… just go then…" he shut the door quickly.

**The next chapter are gonna be like a 3 part adventure and I'm excited for that XD Le sigh... been a busy past few days for me, so I'm happy I can finally get some stuff up! :D **

**Thanks for reading :)**

**~Mar**


	11. Jealous

"I'm all ready!" Namiko smiled, her ankle healed and no longer in need of ace bandages for the last stages of healing.

The other five students were holding their own bags as Masuta stood in front of the gates. "Remember… this is a survival training I will not help you so don't bother sending any sos signals… I'll see you all in a month… okay?"

The six bowed and headed off to the deepest parts of the forests and mountains. "So… are we going to split or should we stay together?" Kasai looked around.

"I believe we should stick together," Tanaka said. Everyone respected his opinion now more than ever when they first met him. He may have been strange at first, but he seemed to fit in well enough and was easily competing for smartest with Misako.

By nightfall they lost themselves completely in the vast forests. "I'm going to start on making a shelter…" Misako started climbing a couple trees. "Someone cut that bamboo over there?" she pointed to the clusters.

"I'll do it!" Kasai jumped and grabbed his sword to cut reeds.

Wu climbed the tree with Misako and grabbed the rope, "I'll help weave and hang," he offered with a small smile.

Misako smiled, "Thank you Wu," she looked down, "Namiko, can you help with the reed cutting and weaving? Once we get this up, we can use the tarp for when it rains!"

Tanaka set out on his own to look for berries and fruit because they were starting to get hungry and were not allowed to bring any additional food. Garmadon looked down, "I'll get fire wood…" he turned around headed back.

Wu started making knots in the rope around the thicker branches. "You're really good at knots…" Misako's eyebrows went up, noticing.

"Thanks… hehe…" Wu looked away. He didn't want to tell her that he was up all night before learning camping tricks that would impress her. He was getting desperate at this point since he noticed her drifting dangerously close to his brother.

All they had to do was wait for the others so they climbed down and sat next to each other, "It's funny how I know you guys better than my own parents…" she closed her eyes, swinging her legs in the air.

"You don't need them… we're a family," Wu said.

She nodded and looked down, "Yea…" she hugged her knees to her body, remembering when Garmadon held her as she slept, fighting off her emotions.

Wu frowned when she looked away from him. "Well… uh…" he scratched the back of his head, "What do you want to do while we wait for the others to get back so we can finish?"

She shrugged and stood up, looking down at the blue eyed boy, "Come on," she held out a hand. "Why don't you show me those new moves you were doing at practice yesterday?"

Wu took her hand and pulled himself up, taking his stance, "I'll try not to knock you down," he smirked.

She shook her head and stood her own stance, "Sure Wu… but I think I'll knock you on your back," she laughed. She always found it cute how Wu was just centimeters shorter than her yet always talked a good game.

Wu started off in a run and did a flying kick. Misako went down on her knees, bending back so it just barely missed her. She rolled and got back up and turned around and started circling with Wu, "I'm waiting for you to actually try," she winked.

The blonde smiled and made the first move again, landing the hit in her shoulder, she grabbed his wrist and threw him to the side. Her foot got caught on a tree root and she went sailing forward, onto Wu, knocking him back. "Ow…" Wu coughed when he head hit his stomach.

She dizzily lifted her head and started laughing, "I did knock you down!"

"I did to you too!" the two started laughing.

Misako sat on him and folded her arms, "But I'm the one on top now". Wu tried to get out from under her and she smiled, kissing his cheek, "Aw, baby Wu can't get up," she joked and pinched his cheek.

"Aw come on!" he complained, smacking her hand away. Wu, out of nowhere, tackled her to the ground, "Now I win…" he grinned.

"Aw man… and here I am with a prize to give you…" she giggled.

Wu looked down and half smiled, quickly kissing her on the lips. She stopped her laughing and sat up, sitting next to him. The blonde felt a little proud of himself for doing that to her. The two chuckled together, leaning shoulder to shoulder.

Garmadon was the first to make it back; seeing everything from her lying on top of Wu to the kiss Wu gave her, "Sorry to interrupt…" he grimaced, throwing the wood on the ground.

Misako's smile faded when she saw his face. She stood up and helped the younger brother, "Oh come on, we were playing around," she placed her hands on her hips and looked at the wood on the ground. She started picking it up and eyed her friend, "But I guess the only person I can act like that with is you," the light brunette placed the wood in a pile.

"Whoa what's going on here?" Kasai came back with Namiko who was still weaving a couple of pieces of reeds for the roof. "Misako dealing out burns again? Who was it this time?"

Misako looked at Kasai and then Garmadon and Namiko laughed, "Oh my… being protective of his girlfriend again?"

Garmadon's face went red, "She is _not _my girlfriend," he pointed to the girl with the braid.

Tanaka came through the bushes as well with his bag, "You are lying, friend," he looked at the oldest ninja in training's face.

The older girl's eyebrows went up. Garmadon started glaring at Tanaka next, "How about you just shut up pretty boy," he snapped and stalked off to hide away for a little bit.

"Uh… we can start hanging the tarps and stuff for the shelter…" Namiko held out a small, crudely woven blanket of reeds. Misako took the stiff roof and started climbing back up the tree to tie it up. Kasai and Wu helped with the other corners.

Garmadon found a tree with thick, branches of leaves to hide him in as he sat, balled up, choking out what was supposed to be tears. _"What was that!? Why would she say that if she wasn't doing something with him?"_

**Who's ready for a three parter?! **

***crickets* **

**;-; I know... no one... **

**Wu was so not joking around Misako... and maybe she wasn't either... *waves arms in a mysterious anime fashion* we may never know. **

**Oh wait this is my fic... of course she doesn't! *hides in the tiny Garsako shipper corner of shame* **

**Thanks for reading, see ya guys around :3**

**~Mar**


	12. The Nature Wizard

It was getting late and Garmadon still was not back yet so Misako tried to find him in the dark forest. "Garmadon?" she whispered, trying not to stir up any sleeping wildlife.

"Up here…" she looked up quickly and saw his leg hanging off the limbs of the tree. She dug her fingers in the bark and pulled herself up to one of the highest branches where she found him sitting. "Sorry… I uh, ran off…" he looked away to wipe his eyes again.

"Well we finished the shelter without you…" she tossed him a peach, "Here… thought you'd be hungry," she smiled, Tanaka found all sorts of things deeper in the forest…"

Garmadon leaned back and bit into the sweet fruit, "Why do you think my dad makes us do these stupid things?" he wiped his mouth on his sleeve. He didn't want to talk about his reasons for running off.

The green eyed girl shrugged. It was a good question. "Well, I guess we have to learn how to survive on our own… what if something happens and we don't have a home to return to?" she looked down. "You know the monastery is everyone's home… even for Namiko and Tanaka who have family elsewhere…"

The two sixteen year olds looked up at the moon. It was almost totally full and the dark blue sky was sprinkled with silver stars. It lit up the dark forests beautifully, making their skin look white like ghosts.

"So… what made you so mad about what Tanaka said before you ran off…" she smiled and leaned against his shoulder playfully. "You really thought I was trying to do something with your brother?"

He looked away, "He's thirteen… it was a weird position I saw you in on him… and…" he folded his arms and brought his knees up more. "You kissed him… and he kissed you…"

She looked down before kissing his cheek, "You need to stop letting that anger of yours get the better of you… because… I don't know if I can be anything more than friends if you act like that…"

His red eyes seemed to glow in the dark when he looked at her. "What do you mean by that?" an ounce of hope inside him.

"Well Wu is awfully sweet and all… but…" she looked down. Garmadon leaned closer to her. "I always thought-"

Suddenly the tree branch they were on snapped. In midair, Garmadon wrapped his arms around her, letting her land on him instead. They both groaned when they tried to sit up. "What the hell was that about?" he angrily shouted at nothing.

The broken pieces of wood suddenly came to life in the shape of serpents. They scrambled to get to their feet and backed up against each other. "What's going on!?" Misako clung to the taller teen.

The red eyed boy looked down at the wooden snakes, "H-how the hell should I know!?" he swallowed. "I hate snakes…" he mindlessly touched the spot the snake bit him as a child.

"Who's in my forest?" a voice in the dark asked them. The stared wide eyed. "Well?! Who are you two!?"

Their throats felt dry, they were hoping it was Masuta playing some kind of joke on them but he was not the joking type. Misako swallowed before answering, "Misako Alexander…" her voice sounded shaky.

"Yea and I'm Garmadon… son of Masuta, the First Spinjitsu Master," he said a little more assertive than the shorter girl next to him. "And we got friends here with us, we're all ninja in training so you better leave us the hell alone my dad will beat your ass!"

"Masuta's son? I'm surprised he had any children…" a figure came out of the darkness, moonlight on him, "I am Cardinsto, the wizard of the forest".

"We need to find Wu and the others…" Misako whispered, gripping his hand.

The red eyed boy slowly nodded, "On the count of three…"

With a flick of his hand, the snakes stopped snapping at Garmadon and Misako. "You said there were others right? Take me there now".

"Like we would ever!" Misako stomped angrily.

Cardinsto snapped his fingers and the snakes hissed and snapped again. Garmadon retracted quickly behind Misako who sighed. "Fine…" she clicked her teeth together while looking back Garmadon angrily, she didn't like snakes either but he was downright terrified.

The wizard manipulated the wood to make cuffs for them; Garmadon didn't want him to know that he could break out of them in a matter of seconds though because he was already turning a plan over in his head.

They finally reached their campsite where a small fire was still going. Kasai was standing up, telling a scary story to Tanaka, Wu, and Namiko and seemed to be scaring them senseless.

The oldest teens walked in with lowered heads, "Hey guys…" Misako said.

The other four looked at the two, "Oh good you're back! Listen to this freaky story Kasai is telling us!" Wu excitedly said.

Namiko quickly nodded, "Yes! It's about a scary wizard who is rumored to live in these woods! It's all a myth though," she sat back against her log.

"Well… yea… about that being a myth…" the two held their hands up and the wizard shoved past them.

He laughed looking at the other four, "So these are Masuta's students…" he looked at Wu, "You must be the other son… you look exactly like him".

Wu swallowed, "Garmadon… what's going on?"

"I am the wizard in your friend's story… and I am very much real young boy". The wood snakes slithered around the others who backed up against each other. "Now Masuta and his wife will pay for crossing me!"

Wu lowered his head, "She's dead…"

"Ah, so that must be why he surrounds himself with such strange and weak children… just like Delilah was weak."

Garmadon clenched his teeth together and his red eyes glowed bright, "Don't you talk about my mother like that you dirt bag," with all his strength he broke the wood. He rubbed one wrist and glared back, "She controlled darkness and was stronger than you will ever know… and I'll beat you into the dirt if you talk about her like that again!"

Misako leaned over, "How can we stop him? We can't even use Spinjitsu…" She squeaked. Garmadon's eyes widened. "Now what!?"

"Oh… I uh… never got to that part…"

**Garmadon... just... why? Oh yea, because I wrote you to be like that (let's face it though, he would so pull stuff like that... be prepared for him to do some pretty damn stupid stuff in this story lol)**

**I seem to go throw phases and periods of changing what my favorite story to write for is... right now, it's a cross between Kill Garmadon and this hehe. **

**Thanks for reading! It means the **

**~Mar**


	13. The Duel with Nature

"You mean to tell me you don't have a plan!?" Misako shouted at. "Who does that!?" She hopped angrily, face to face with him.

Garmadon looked a little embarrassed. "Well… it is me we're talking about… right?" he looked back at the others. "Right?" everyone else nodded a little in agreement.

"ENOUGH!" Cardinsto shouted at them.

The brunette, with no better option, took his stance, "Okay tough guy… I'm just gonna… kick you in the face or something…" he muttered to himself.

"Ten bucks says he's gonna die…" Kasai side glanced, looking to the others.

Namiko shook her head quickly, "Nah… I got twenty bucks on him breaking something and going unconscious…"

Tanaka frowned, "Technically speaking, the stance isn't very good for fighting someone with magic powers-"

"Yea but it's not like we can actually use Spinjitsu yet, right?" Wu cut him off.

Misako just stood where she was, rolling her eyes. Garmadon looked at them from the corner of his eye, "Gee, thanks for your faith in me guys…" They all fell silent after he said that.

Wu leaned to Kasai's ear, "Fifteen says that he'll he's gonna miss and break his left leg". He whispered.

"WU!"

The use of Spinjitsu was a nice thought but in his sixteen years, Garmadon never came close to anything like that and neither had Wu or Misako. Tanaka himself was a rather fast learner but he also tried and failed.

"I'm waiting," Cardinsto held his arms out, "Try and hit me foolish boy, I'll even go easy on you!" He laughed, making the young man's blood boil.

Garmadon started off in a run, throwing a punch and the wizard stepped to the left. "Aw… so unbalanced… I can tell by your eyes…"

"Shut up!" Garmadon threw another one but the wizard took his staff and smacked him across the back, and he fell flat on his stomach.

He gasped for air and his back bone ached from the blow to the middle of his back. "Get up!" Misako hopped. She wasn't being a very good cheerleader right now but Garmadon's head was going so fuzzy he couldn't think of any sarcastic quips to through back.

"Yes please!" Wu shouted at him, nervously looking at the snakes around their feet.

"Working on it…" The older brother wiped his bloody nose and pushed himself up again. He cracked his knuckles angrily. "Second wind…" He went to run but then tripped over a group of tree roots that had suddenly appeared there. He twisted his body in a strange fashion.

Suddenly, something clicked and the spinning motion he made ignited a glowing, purple tornado around him. "What the-?" Cardinsto jumped back.

"No way…" Everyone's mouths dropped open.

Garmadon stopped and took a moment to register what went on, "What… w-what happened?" he blinked a couple of times, trying to see straight for his surroundings were spinning.

"You did Spinjitsu! Now can you please do it again?!" Misako was looking very skittish over the fact that he was losing.

He cleared his head and started off again, twisting, "Ninjag-GO!" he shouted. The purple tornado appeared again and knocked Cardinsto back against a tree. He opened his forest green eyes and looked at Misako, then waved his hand.

A snake slithered up, around her, fangs poised for cutting her neck. She stretched her head to the side, wanting to get away from the monster. Wu was about ready to spring into action, if his brother could do it, so could he. He wanted to save Misako; he wanted to be the hero.

As he went to move Misako screamed his brother's name instead, "Garmadon!" she squeezed her eyes shut and Wu's heart sank she didn't say his instead.

Namiko squeezed Wu's hand and shook her head. "Shh… not yet… you are too far away and not fast enough…"

"We must wait…" Tanaka nodded in agreement with the younger girl. "I will say when…" his gray eyes shut as he concentrated.

The wizard and the son of the Spinjitsu Master glared into the others' eyes. "You don't like snakes do you boy?" he asked. "I know why… like I said, I can see it in your eyes… Masuta or Delilah… they had blue eyes… I know why yours are different-"

"Shut the hell up old man," Garmadon seethed with anger when he looked at Misako who looked pretty scared having a snake hiss and try to bite her.

He smirked, "Then I guess you'll never know right? No doubt Masuta is keeping it a secret from you… not many know about… The Great Devourer's venom effects…"Garmadon's eyes widened when he said that. "Let me go and I'll tell you everything".

Garmadon looked down, thinking it over. His eyes flicked back up and he delivered the next neck kick, his foot connecting to his enemy's jaw.

Cardinsto was disabled and Garmadon stood, heavily breathing for a few more moments with his foot in the air.

"Okay now!" Tanaka shouted.

Kasai swung his sword around hard, chopping the wooden monsters to splinters. Wu tried to make his way to Misako but his brother got there first anyways. He broke the wood up with his small knife and Misako clung to him for dear life.

"I gotcha…" Garmadon kissed the top of her head.

A sudden gold light shined through the trees, blinding everyone who had nothing more than the light of the dying campfire.

When their vision cleared they saw the tall Master of Spinjitsu, "Now… I thought I saw something with my spirit smoke…" he looked at Cadinsto. He pointed a slender finger at the nature wizard. "You; you were to be banished to Hiroshi's Labyrinth… why are you here?"

"Found your brats and thought I'd get some revenge," Cardinsto laughed darkly. "I didn't know your oldest was cursed though…" Masuta's eyes widened and he looked back at Garmadon who was holding Misako tightly to him. "Young love… right?" He chuckled.

"Be gone wizard," Masuta snapped his fingers.

The wizard stood and looked at the master, "Okay then… but one day you won't be here to keep the peace… and I can return to cease Ninjago's advancements and let nature overgrow everything…"

"Wrong…" Masuta darkly said, "They will protect the people…" Without another word the wizard vanished into the dark woods again, leaving people in peace. The master's stance relaxed and he looked at the others, "Did he hurt any of you?"

Wu was sitting on the ground, arms hugging his knees in silence. He looked back at his brother and friend who were still clinging to each other.

"He's gone now Misako…" Garmadon smiled, seeing she was still squeezing him. She backed away a little and wiped her eyes and sat up on her knees and touched his face. "Misako?" he whispered.

Her emerald eyes watered over and pulled his face closer, sealing her lips with his. He was surprised at first but then enjoyed it. He ignored if the others were watching. Secretly they were but pretended not to.

He wrapped his arms tightly around her waist as she forced her kiss deeper. After their lungs begged for air they brushed foreheads. "I love you…" she whispered, shutting her eyes again.

Wu stared as his heart broke. Masuta sat next to him and rubbed his back, "Come son, I am taking you back to the monastery…" he stood back up, "Come, we are all going home…" he looked to the others. "Pack your things…"

It was mid morning when they got back. They all retired to their rooms to get some rest from the night before. Misako though sat on the bed with Garmadon in his room. Lips glue to each other as they lay together.

Kasai and Wu were sitting in his room on the floor, "Chicks… right?" Kasai looked over at his depressed friend. "Looks like Tanaka was right about them then…"

Wu just nodded. He didn't say anything since the two had kissed. The brunette sighed, "Well… no use moping around… I'm tired so I'm going to sleep for a week!" he looked back at Wu as he sat on his bed. "Wu? No offense… but can ya get out of my room?"

Wu blinked, "Oh… yea… sorry…"

**Who's ready for more drama?! Also just to.. ask... has anyone read the comic Stone Cold? Because many of the villains in this story were taken from there/inspired from there (some they didn't go into so I made some stuff up). But one was a big bad guy Wu had ti fight in the comic. (I think it was the longest battle in that book)**

**However this bad guy won't be in for another... uh three chapters maybe?**

**Thanks for reading ;) **

**~Mar**


	14. I Want You

Garmadon sat in the library, looking in an old book when his father walked in, "And what do you think you are doing in here Garmadon?" Masuta said sternly. "You are not allowed in here… and you know that-"

"I wonder why that is…" Garmadon glared, looking up from what he was reading and shut the book with a loud clap. "It's because you like to keep secrets…"

It came to the point where he was no longer intimidated by his father, probably because he was as tall as him now. "In the woods… Cardinsto told me about a Great Devourer and the venom infecting people…" he glared, "You didn't tell me something," he shoved the book at his father's chest, the page open where he was reading. "But I know now".

The Spinjitsu master read the page quickly and sighed, "I was hoping you wouldn't find out this way-"

"What way did you want me to find out then!?" the teenager shouted. "You and mom knew… you knew and you never told me a frikkin' thing!" he jabbed a finger at his father. Eyes pulsating with the crimson glow he had for the past eight years.

Masuta sighed and nodded, "I'm sorry son-"

"Don't call me that… don't you dare call me your son!" he yelled. "Wu knew before I even did about mom! You always favored Wu! You force so much responsibility on me only to turn around and pay attention to Wu! I hate you!"

He ran out. "Where are you going!?"

"AWAY FROM HERE!"

Misako and Namiko rolled their pants up, sticking their feet in the lake and lying back on the hot rocks, relaxing. "AAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!"

The girls bolted upright. They recognized the yell though and Misako pulled her feet out of the water and followed the echoing sound of her new boyfriend's yells. "Be right back Nami…"

She found him busting his way through foliage in clean sweeps. She hid behind a tree, knowing he needed to vent because of whatever probably happened. Her guess; his father said something he didn't like.

The skin on his knuckles were peeling and bleeding as he punch into trees, making decent sized dents in them.

Garmadon finally lost all balance and fell on his back. He covered his face and shouted curses and indefinable words. Misako slowly stepped out and Garmadon looked to the side as he heard the crunch of leaves under her wet feet.

"Hey…" he said, voice cracking.

"You're drenched in sweat…" she wiped his face by his hair line a little. He nodded. She lay down next to him in the dirt. "What's wrong?" she took his hand.

He squeezed his eyes shut, "I found… my father was keeping secrets from me…" he hissed through his clenched teeth. "Again…"

Misako was not surprised by this of course. Over the years the father and son and grown farther and farther apart. "What… how bad was it?" she swallowed.

"Oh nothing important…" he scoffed, "Only that I was bitten by a cursed snake that put evil in my blood!" he shouted. He was trying to get up and she pulled him back by his belt. "If you want to take back what you said about loving me last night; I under-"

"Shut up!" she smacked his shoulder. "You think a little snake venom is gonna change my feelings?"

He looked up, "Uh… yea…" he sounded sarcastic. "Why wouldn't you? My brother has a crush on you… you go try and work things out with him… you two could be very happy together…" he started raising his voice again.

"I want you…" she whispered in his ear. "I think I always did…" she kissed him quickly. "I was just afraid to tell you…" they shared another, longer one. "I didn't know why…I just was…"

"Misako!?" Namiko called out. The two opened their eyes and sighed. They should get back, or else Masuta would send out the other three boys to look for them.

**Ah temper tantrums... I feel ya Garmadon... I feel ya... I wish I could make dents in trees though... I'm not that strong sadly... **

**Thank you kindly for reading :) I've been buzzin all day because everyone keeps making me Garmadon or Garmadon/Misako art for my birthday and I'm just fangirling all day... (I'm officially 17! ayayayay...)**

**See ya around with some possible other updates :) **

**~Mar**


	15. Cold

The snow was starting to pile up on the stone courtyard, it was only a week until Christmas and the Namiko and Misako were lighting the fireplace and some candles to decorate the monastery a bit.

"Seen Garmadon?" Wu looked around as he came out of the bathroom.

Misako looked out the window and smiled, "He's… practicing…"

Wu's eyebrows rose and he looked outside, "What weirdoes…" His mouth dropped when he saw his brother sparring with Tanaka in the snow. "They're barefoot too!"

The girls looked out the window, "We know… isn't it amazing how resilient they both are?" Namiko sighed with a smile watching Tanaka. Both boys looked dead serious and tense as they sparred in the twenty degree weather, maybe even colder.

Kasai looked out too and traced Namiko's gaze, "Pfft, I could do anything Tanaka can…" he said it more to Namiko than to Wu or Misako though.

The two older boys walked in, trailing melting snow behind them. Misako got him a towel to dry the wet snow off of him and to warm up. She kissed his nose. "I was about to make some coco… want some?"

"Yea," Garmadon smiled and kissed her quickly back.

"Excited that your nineteenth is coming up in a few weeks Misako?" Masuta walked in.

Misako slowly nodded, "I guess so…" she held sadness in her eyes though.

She always sat by the phone or rushed to get mail first, hoping her parents would send word soon. The last thing she heard was in August and now it was the middle of December.

Finally, as she went to boil the milk, the phone did ring and she scrambled to pick it up, the others gathered around her eagerly, excited for her, "Hello? Momma?" she hopefully asked.

_"Yes are you… Misako?" _

"Uh… yea… who's this?" she curiously asked. Everyone looked puzzled when she frowned.

_"Then… I'm so sorry… your parents' bodies were found… they caught frostbite when they were buried in the snow… I'm so sorry miss…"_

Misako eyes widened as she started shaking. "Mimi?" Wu whispered. "Misako, what happened?"

_"Hello?"_

"Yes… I… I…" she stuttered, trying to find words. "Thank you…" she hung up the phone slowly and stood up again, hugging herself.

"What?" Kasai wanted her to answer them.

"They're dead…" she barely whispered it. "Both of them…" she looked up, her eyes turning red. "They caught frostbite while in the mountains…" she swallowed. "I am never going to see my mom and dad again… ever…"

Namiko hugged her friend tightly, "So sorry sweetie…" Misako started sobbing.

"At least… well, at least you didn't know them that well…" Kasai looked down.

Garmadon knocked the black haired teen in the side of the head, "Stop making my girlfriend feel worse yuo idiot!" he hissed. "Mimi… it's okay…" he switched out with Namiko. "Remember what I said?"

"I know… but… it still hurts!" she buried her face in his robes.

"I am going to make some tea…" Namiko quietly looked down. "Help me?" she looked at Wu who nodded and Kasai and Tanaka followed the other two out as well.

A quiet Christmas came and went and Misako's nineteenth birthday came two days later which was not any better. The funeral was held the day before; of all days to have it.

That was a miserable, rainy day and Misako looked even paler in her black coat. The whole time she was squeezing Garmadon and Wu's hands because she refused to cry anymore than she did the week prior to finding out.

She hid away in her room and no one dared to go inside when they got back, not even Garmadon. She didn't want anyone to see her cry, even though she denied it. Everyone could hear her hiccups and sobs into her pillow when they tried to listen.

The night of her birthday, Garmadon was surprised to find her in his doorway. "What is it?" He asked gently, half asleep.

"I can't sleep…" she croaked. She wiped her eyes, "Can I… can I come in?" she looked down and wiped her nose.

He didn't answer, he just moved over so she could climb in with him. She lay on top of him though and started kissing him, hands sliding under his shirt. He noticed she wasn't wearing much clothes too. Her tank top barely covered her underwear.

"I love you…" tears dripped down her cheeks.

"I love you too…" he nuzzled her.

She bit her lip, "Can… can we-" looking down, blushing.

"Yes-"

He could barely answer her before she pressed her body against him and straddled him across his waist gently. He looked at her red face and smiled a little. He flipped over so she was under him. "Remember to be quiet…" he whispered in her ear before kissing her jaw line.

"Thank you…" she breathed and started slipping her clothes off under his blankets.

* * *

When Garmadon opened his eyes he saw Misako's bare back facing him. He smiled a little, happy to know he didn't just dream the night before. "Are you awake?" he gently nudged her shoulder.

"Yea…" she said in a raspy voice, turning on her side, hiding under the comforter still. Her face was pink and looked tired still as she kissed his nose. "I should… find my way back into my room… before your father sees us… like this…"

"I don't care…" he swallowed. "I'm not afraid of him…" he hugged her. The room was cold but their bodies were warm against each other. "Hey… get dressed… let's get out of here for a few hours…"

She nodded and found her pajamas on the floor and picked them up, slipping into her room across the way. Garmadon found his pants and slipped them on quickly. He scratched the back of his head and smiled a little at the vague memories of last night.

**I am unashamed! ((and yes Namiko was crushing on Tanaka in case you were wondering))**

**I am so excited for the next few chapters! Anybody can guess which villain from Stone Cold will be showing up? Anyone?**

**Oh yea, hardly anyone reads this story... ;~; I forgot**

**Thank you if you did read this and did not review to make your presence known to me though! (I do that a lot too so don't feel bad XD)**

**~Mar**


	16. Don't Say a Word

"What do you mean?" Namiko's covered her mouth. "You mean… Misako; you guys-"

"SH!" Misako snapped as she looked back at the doorway. "We don't want Masuta knowing… and I worked hard to keep my mouth shut for two months because Garmadon will get embarrassed." She bit her lip. "Masuta thinks we'll get married and do it… but… I was so upset and…" she wiped her runny nose. "I wasn't thinking… and I had to tell someone!"

"Pfft, ya; no shit Sherlock…" Namiko half laughed half scoffed. "You had the best head on your shoulders than all of us combined… well, except for Tanaka maybe…"she trailed off, frowning.

"Well at least we're adults…" Misako muttered, continuing to chop up vegetables. "We can make our own choices…"

The two heard footsteps and were relieved for it to be Garmadon. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her on the cheek. "Well hello… you seem to be in a better mood…" he smiled, seeing she was looking better.

"Well… you… helped…" she winked a green eye. The other, younger girl covered her mouth and giggled a little.

Garmadon's face turned red, "Please tell me you did not tell her…"

"Oh she spilled everything alright," the sixteen year old punched him lightly in the shoulder. "Good for you Romeo…" she laughed.

"Stop what you are doing, there's trouble in a small town north of here… You all are going to investigate…" Masuta announced.

Namiko hopped, excited, "A mission all on our own?"

He nodded and smiled at her enthusiasm, "Yes Nami; I trust in all of you…"

"What should we be looking for then?" Tanaka asked. "What sort of trouble?"

The very old master waited until Wu and Kasai made it into the living room. "People have said that some fall asleep and haven't been waking up… it's gone on for several days. Most thrash about and have nightmares so you must wake them up and get to the bottom of it…"

The six packed a small bag each and they set off down the mountain to the small town in the north. It was February and the cold was dying down more as spring was almost there.

Kasai looked at the map he packed as they trekked along, "We should be there by tomorrow…" he looked ahead at the others. "It's a little town called Yumei…"

"Then I suggest we all make it to the base of the mountain before night and continue on in the morning," Tanaka pointed to the mountain miles off.

Everyone half groaned together as they dragged their feet along the dirt path. As they walked Misako was the first to grow tired. "I need a rest…" she gave in and sat down on the nearest rock. "Just give me moment…"

She pulled out her water bottle. "Normally you're one of the last give in…" Kasai sat at the base of her rock seat.

Misako nodded in agreement as she rubbed her lower back, "Yea… I just… my back's been hurting…" she wiped her brow. "Haven't been feeling that great…" she frowned and packed her bottle back in her bag, nervously looking at Garmadon.

"Okay… I think I can move on again," she sighed, getting back on her feet after a couple of minutes.

It was dark out when they got the fire going. There were three small tents they pitched with some blankets in Namiko's bag. Garmadon was the first to head in and had called a tent for himself because Wu, Kasai, and Tanaka were fine with sharing one together anyways. Namiko and Misako planned on sharing one.

However, when everyone started sleeping, Misako snuck out and found Garmadon still awake and almost half expected to see her crawl in. "Knew you'd show up," he smiled.

She tired looked at him and laid down next to him. "I just hope I'll feel fine tomorrow…" she wiped her eyes and yawned. "We have to figure out what's going on and everything…" she nervously looked at him. "I know we should be sleeping… but there's… something I wanted to talk to you about earlier but then we had to leave and this is our only time alone…"

"Well that's not a good way to begin a conversation…" he rolled his red eyes. "But fine, what was it that we needed to be all alone for?"

She blushed and looked down. The campfire was dulling out and gave them a little light from outside. "I seriously do not know how to say this…" she swallowed and then looked him in the eye, "Garmadon… I think I'm pregnant".

He pretty much jumped upright banging his head on a low hanging branch that was leaning against their tent, "OW!" he rubbed his head. "I'm sorry… what!?"

She covered her face, "I think I'm pregnant…"

He laid flat on his back, wiping his face which started sweating. "Oh shit… oh shit oh shit…" he kept saying.

"Something wrong Garmadon?" they froze when they heard Wu's voice.

Garmadon coughed, "I'm fine Wu! I… kicked my… flashlight?" he thought up on the fly.

"Oh… okay…"

"Smoooooth…" Misako lifted her head with a smile.

He shot her a look, "Oh shut up…" he snapped back at her. "How… how do you know!? Did you check?! What do you mean you think!?"

"You know… there ARE signs that women know…" she frowned. "I missed my monthly…" she looked away, "twice… And then I think it's morning sickness…"

"Oh gods… what are we going to do!? If my dad finds out…"

"I'll say I was the one who wanted to…" she smiled and lay on top of him. "Because I love you so much…"

Garmadon looked at the shadows of the other tents through the fabric, "gonna tell them?"

She shook her head, "Well… Nami can keep a secret well enough but… I don't want to… not until we get home…" she rested her head on his chest and twined her fingers around his.

He seemed rather calm but she could feel his heart pounding faster than her steadier one as she lay on top of him. The two closed their eyes and figured that all they should is get whatever it was over with that they had to do in the strange town.

Tanaka was the first one to get up and start packing his own things, ready to move out. Namiko followed out of her own tent and knew where Misako ended up sleeping.

"Morning Tana," she stretched her arms up and rolled her head back. "Want me to kick everyone out of bed?"

"Well… you can be gentle about it…" he smiled.

The brown eyes girl smiled back, "Wu? Kasai? Wakey wakey!" she stuck her head in. The two boys jumped out of sleep and groaned.

Wu pulled the small blanket over his head, "Five more minutes!"

"Give me that blanket!" Kasai pulled it on his side of the tent. "You said we'd share!"

"I lied," Wu tried to tug it back sleepily.

"Never realized a nice kid like you could be so grouchy in the morning!" Kasai snapped.

Namiko shook her head and laughed as they argued and she slowly stepped up to Misako and Garmadon's, "Don't tell me you two… getting it on again?" she giggled as the two slowly woke up from their cuddling.

"Yea…" Misako waved her hand. "Just shoo Nami… we'll be out in a minute…"

Garmadon opened one eye and kissed her cheek, placing a hand over her stomach, "Morning beautiful…" he kissed her neck.

She squeaked a little and looked up at him. He sat up first, pulling her up in a sitting position she looked pale and tired. "Tell them I'm going to the bathroom…" she stood up. "I'm gonna throw up…" she went out the back side, covering her mouth.

He smiled and left the tent to see the other's folding their supplies up and started on his own. "Where did Misako go?" Wu asked curiously.

"Uh… had to take a leak…" the older brother lied for her, mindlessly folding the blanket from inside the tent.

The others raised an eyebrow and looked at each other, "Something… on your mind," Namiko smiled.

"No…" Garmadon sighed and pulled his bag from inside and started tearing the tent tarp down, wishing they weren't so questioning. He still felt eyes on him.

"Okay because it looks like there is something on your mind…" Tanaka shrugged and they all went back to what they were doing.

"Yea… I mean… I'm sure you'd trust us with any secret…" Kasai nodded, "Being we're your friends and can hold in something precious and dear…"

"Like frikking with his girlfriend," Namiko giggled. Wu's ears perked up when she giggled that and he saw his brother's face turn bright red.

"Okay for one, she did it to me okay? I … uh… just let her…" he lowered his head again as the others laughed but Wu.

The four remained snickering at his embarrassment and he tried to see if his girlfriend was coming back yet because this was getting awkward and nerve racking. She of all people should know how group situations were for him.

The nineteen year old still felt their eyes on him and lifted his head and sighed, "I got Misako pregnant…" he groaned. "Are you all happy?"

The quiet laughter ceased. He looked back at their wide eyes. "Uh… nice joke…" Kasai half laughed.

Garmadon looked mad, "Oh what? You're telling me that I couldn't-"

"Garmadon, you hate kids, couldn't if you tried," Kasai folded his arms.

They heard rustling and the brunette jumped and looked back seeing his girlfriend, "Couldn't what?" she smiled and kissed him quickly. The others were staring at her. "Uh… something wrong…"

"Is it a boy or a girl!?" Namiko jumped excitedly.

Misako's hand clutched the fabric over her stomach, going pale again, "What the hell did you tell them?" she looked up and glared at Garmadon who was whiter than normal as well. "Garmadon!?"

"They forced me!" he blocked himself from one of her high kicks.

"Ya right!" she went to slap him, aiming for his face, "You promised we wouldn't tell them!" Sometimes he wished she wasn't trained like him for sixteen years.

His wrists blocked the blow and he bit his lip, "DAMN WOMAN!" he bent over, "For a pregnant woman you're moving just fine!" he sat on his bottom and looked up. She stood menacingly over him.

Her emerald eyes flicked up at her friends, "Don't you dare tell Masuta when we get back!" she pointed. "I will beat your asses back to where to wherever you came from!" She eyed Tanaka, Namiko, and Kasai.

They all quietly nodded, afraid of Misako now more than they ever had.

She straightened up and folded her arms, "Now come on…" she sighed and picked her bag up. "I want to get this over with…"

**Life lesson #1? Never screw with Misako, your life will depend on it XD **

**Soooooo... you all knew that the end of the last chapter would set up for this right? Haha but of course... what more could possibly happen? I have at least 43 chapters total and still more to come... I may edit and combine stuff though... **

**So people are falling asleep? I wonder what villain it could be... lol**

**Thank you fr reading :) **

**~Mar**


	17. The Dreamer

When the six reached Yumei they were greeted by a young man. "Are you Masuta's students?" he quickly asked them. "I'm Thomas".

The six nodded, "Yes… we came as fast as we could," Tanaka bowed. "What is the problem?"

He sighed, "Follow me…" he started walking.

It wasn't as advanced as Ninjago City, but there were cars and brick and cement buildings. "Almost a week ago… people stopped waking up… at first we thought they were dead… but they were still breathing… it started with a couple… and now… almost the whole town is asleep…" he closed his eyes.

"And… it just started happening?" Kasai looked a little alarmed, looking at the quiet houses.

Thomas shrugged, "Yea… pretty much…"

Tanaka frowned and looked around, "Well… I think we should… spend a night or two here… what do you think?" he looked back at the others.

They all quickly shook their heads 'no' and Garmadon was worriedly clinging to his girlfriend and child in her. Tanaka smiled, "Well then I guess we should an inn, glad we all are on the same page".

"I hate you… you know that?" Garmadon frowned.

Wu walked alongside his brother, "You think we're gonna be put into an eternal sleep or something?"

"Possibly…" Misako muttered, toying with a loose thread on the end of her sweater.

As soon as night came, everyone but Tanaka was ready for bed. "I am so not doing this…" Kasai and Wu folded their arms as they sat on the cots.

Tanaka smiled, "Well you can't stay up all night you know…"

"I bet I can stay up later than all of you!" Kasai laughed. Namiko rolled her eyes.

Misako lay down next to Garmadon, "Might as well sleep… right?" she whispered.

"What if only one wakes up?" he nervously asked.

"Well let's hope that doesn't happen…" she pulled the cord on the lamp, "Well… Good night…"

It took a while for the others to drift off because of their nerves. Eventually the dead silence lulled them asleep.

Wu opened his bright blue eyes and found himself sitting on a cloud, "… this doesn't feel like a dream…" he looked at his hand. He pinched his hand. "Weird…" he felt it a little. "Garmadon? Tanaka?" he stood up, "Kasai and Namiko? Misako? Anybody?"

His voice seemed to echo. "Wonder what will happen if I jumped…" he looked over the edge of the cloud. He frowned, "Well…" he took a couple steps back and jumped.

He opened his eyes and it looked like he was sitting back in his room at home. He scratched his head, "Huh… did not see that coming…"

"Someone here?" It was Namiko. She ran around the corner. "Wu…" she breathed. "What's going on?"

"Where're the others?" Wu asked her.

The brown haired girl shrugged, "I wouldn't know… I was… just thinking about how much I wanted to go home… end this silly trip and… well, I ended here…"

"This is weird…" Wu chews the inside of his cheek, trying to process what was happening to them. "Are dreams connected or something?"

_"__If you want to see your friends, think of them… it is your dream…"_

The two looked around and then at each other. "Well… okay…" Namiko closed her eyes and tried to concentrate.

Their surroundings changed again and they were on a road, the sky was dark violet overhead, starless. "So… where are they?"

"There you are!" Tanaka and Kasai ran to them first.

Namiko smiled in relief and ran to them. Kasai held his arms opened but she ran past him, "I was so scared!"

"Well, we're all together…" Tanaka accepted her hug with a smile. "Well… except for Garmadon and Misako… where are they?" he frowned.

Kasai had folded his arms and was grumbling as they started walking along the road. "Well… I hope those two will be okay…"

"MISAKO!" Garmadon shouted as loud as he could. He was frantically trying o find her. He closed his eyes, "Come on… be here… you gotta be somewhere…"

_"__Itty bitty ninja… lost your girl?" _

The red eyed ninja stood upright and looked around, startled, "Who's there?" he wished he had a sword. One materialized in his hands. He looked more shocked. "How-?"

_"__It's your dream…"_

"Show yourself," he demanded.

_"__Oh okay…"_

In front of Garmadon a gargoyle like creature appeared to him. "I am Gahrann the Dreamer…" he mocked bowed. "You must be one of the six brats that Masuta sent…"

"Yea…" he held the sword out. "Where's my girlfriend?" he snapped.

"Oh you mean her?" He made her appear next to him. "I want you and your friends to leave…"

Misako grimaced. "If this is a dream, then I can do this!" she shouted. "Ninja-GO!" her silver tornado of Spinjitsu knocked the gargoyle back.

"Ninja!? You all must have mastered the art…" Gahrann spread his gargoyle like wings. "I've dealt with the master enough times to counter it".

The two back up together, not knowing how to deal with such a monster. If they couldn't wake up or at least find the others, they probably wouldn't last very long.

**I rather liked Gahrann in the comic :3 He was an interesting villain so I figured he'd be the next to be use! :D **

**Thank you for reading :)**

**~Mar**


	18. Six Little Ninja

"There they are!" Wu was at the head of the group. "Whoa…" he looked at Gahrann.

"He's the one who's making people sleep…" Tanaka observed. "Dream Gargoyle…"

"What's that?" Wu looked incredibly alarmed by the sound of it.

"Oh he's a smart one," Gahrann nodded with a bit of a chuckle. "Well done… but do you know why I am doing this?" he tested them.

Kasai jumped ahead though, "Yea we do! You're obviously like a dream eater right? You get powers from nightmares…"

Wu nodded, "Yea but we're not having any nightmares so ha!" he laughed.

Everyone slapped their foreheads at Wu's stupidity to say that in front of the enemy. "Oops…" Wu smacked his forehead as well". The landscape changed again and it looked they were under the water, but they could breathe.

"Let the nightmares begin!" Gahrann laughed darkly.

_Six little ninja, swimming for their lives_

_One flailed and drowned_

_And then there were five_

They all looked around. Namiko suddenly grasped her throat, bubbles coming out of her mouth, unlike the others. She tried to push herself and swim up but couldn't. Kasai went to touch her but his hand went through.

"What's happening!?" Wu tried to grab Namiko as well, hand going through her. She tried reaching out to the four boys and girl, one hand still over her mouth.

Kasai squeezed his eyes shut, "Nami can't swim! She's afraid of drowning!"

Namiko was missing from the group and they all started feel scared.

_Five little ninja along the shore_

_One was buried alive by sand_

_And there were four_

They all looked at Kasai who lowered his head. "This one… is for me… I'm claustrophobic and I'm afraid of being buried alive…" he coughed. "Oh and quicksand…" he sighed as he felt himself sinking. "Oh gods I'm sinking!"

Wu scrambled to try and pull his best friend out and everything shifted again.

"I am getting tired of this!" Garmadon yelled. "Come on you coward! I'll beat your face in when I see you again!"

Gahrann laughed again.

_Four little ninja in the cold wind breeze_

_One was frostbitten_

_And then there were three_

Tanaka started shivering and the others looked at him. "Aren't you guys cold?"

They looked at one another and shook their heads, "Tana…" Misako touched his hands. He felt cold as ice. Garmadon pulled her back abruptly.

He shook his head, "I was always afraid to go outside when I was little… I was afraid if I got lost, I'd die in the cold…" he started turning blue. "I do not know what is next… be ready…" He looked at Garmadon, "I have a feeling… he is saving you for last…"

Garmadon's red eyes widened. "Wait! Why?"

_"__Enough of this, it's getting sappy now!" _Gahrann shouted. _"Hope you're ready for this!"_

_Three little ninja together through and through_

_One felt invisible and grew jealous_

_And then there were two_

Wu lowered his head and turned away from his brother and friend. "Wu…" Misako touched his shoulder. "What does he mean by that?"

The blonde slowly turned around. "I am…" he looked at his older brother and swallowed. "I'll say it… I want to be you… maybe not the whole cursed part…" he trailed off. He looked at Misako sadly. "But… I love you Misako… but neither of you really accepted my presence… I always felt like the third wheel…"

"Why didn't you ever tell me?" she went to take his hand but couldn't grasp it as he started fading into the darkness.

"I tried… but you know me… can't talk… only try to flirt with no success…" he looked at the two of them. "Beat that guy into dust…" he smiled before he faded. "You better keep her out of trouble…" he pointed at Misako and his older brother slowly nodded.

_Two little ninja with love like hotter than the sun_

_But fate played a cruel trick _

_And then there was one_

"Just stay with me…" Garmadon held her close to him. "I'm not gonna let you go…"

She quickly nodded, "I'm not moving…" she grabbed his shirt sleeve. "I'm never letting go…"

_"__Well you two are boring…" _Gahrann chuckled. _"All good things must end when one rises and the other sets"_

Misako's hands flew to her stomach. Garmadon wrapped his arms tighter around her too. They didn't know if dying in a dream could affect them in real life

_"__And yes, when I'm done with the last of you two, I'll have enough energy again to use my powers in the real world"._

"What a disgusting leech…" Misako spat.

Gahrann chuckled, _"I see you are so protective over her…" _His glowing eyes looked down at her hand over her stomach. _"Ah… okay… I see now… well… fate played a cruel trick… and then there was one…" _

The world around them turned black and Garmadon found himself alone, holding nothing but himself as he sank to his knees.

_One little ninja was left all alone_

_His heart was turned black _

_And then there were none_

**I was just dabbling and writing junk and the rhyme thing seemed to fit and stuff so I was like "Hey! Imma use that! Gahrann seems like the type of villain to do that :D" and yea then I decided to name this one well... six little ninja...**

**Thanks for reading :)**


	19. Fighting Sleep

If he was falling, it didn't feel like it. _"Is this still the dream? Or did we all really die?"_

He didn't want to think about the others though. He wished they never went on this stupid mission. Wu, Kasai, and Namiko still didn't even know Spinjitsu yet, but then again, what good was that do them? This wasn't the real world.

_"__This is my dream…" _he tried to convince himself, "Gahrann!" he shouted. "I challenge you to a battle!" Time seemed to freeze around him.

_"__Good, he's listening"._

He smirked, "If I win, you let go of everyone… let us wake up!"

Gahrann appeared, "What if I win?"

He rolled his eyes, "I don't know! What do you want? What do Dream Gargoyles want?"

The winged creatures folded his arms, "Well then… how about I kill you?"

The teenager swallowed. He thought it over for a moment and nodded, "Deal…" As long as Misako and their baby would be okay, then he'd risk it.

"Oh and why not let your friends watch as I kill you?" He snapped his fingers and the other five appeared, the blackness melting into what looked like the town square.

"Garmadon!" Misako jumped from the ground and squeezed him. "Oh my gosh, I thought we died…"

He nodded, "Yea… I did too…" he looked at the others who seemed fine. "But… I did something… stupid…"

"You?" Wu laughed. "Nooo," he sarcastically said.

The older brother glared at the blonde who shut up right away. He gently nudged his girlfriend back and looked at Gahrann, "Okay… let's do this then…" he popped a couple of his knuckles and took a stance.

"Remember that this is still a dream you can do anything you can dream!" Tanaka told him before the duel began.

Garmadon was still unsure though. He held his hand open and found the sword he wanted in it, "Okay… guess that wasn't so hard…" he stood, ready.

Gahrann had a mace appear in his hand and he swung it. The ninja skidded back and tried to block the attack or to at least smack it away. He knew that the gargoyle was messing with his vision because his head felt like it was spinning.

He should have known he wouldn't play fair. "Giving up already?"

Misako watched them go back and forth, looking incredibly worried. Wu frowned and put an arm around her. She looked at the hand on her shoulder and sighed, leaning against him. "Come on brother!"

"Are you guys good for anything but just telling me that?"

Tanaka stood up and started walking towards them. Garmadon was down and Gahrann was ready to strike him when the black haired ninja slid in and a shield appeared in his grasp.

Gahrann was taken aback and the young man dressed in lavender and gray spun, an off white Spinjitsu tornado smacking their foe against the wall. Tanaka looked down at Garmadon and extended a hand to him.

Garmadon took it and nodded, heavily breathing, "Thanks…"

"You are welcome…" the grayed eyed ninja looked to the others, "He won't play fair… and I'm not going to let anybody die… life or dream…"

"I'll stay here with Misako… go…" Wu looked at Kasai and Namiko who sprung into action.

They all took turns, coming after Gahrann and switching out. Their regular clothes changed to ninja robes and weapons flying in and out of their hands.

Namiko's red, steel edged fans screeched on Gahrann's metal rod. Kasai switched out and threw a couple of knives.

Garmadon and Tanaka willed a few sets of shurakins in their hands and used the projectiles. Namiko charged and started her spin like how she had watched the other teenagers perform back home. A perfect, ruby energy tornado appeared around her body.

"Way to go!" Kasai lightly punched her in the shoulder. The smaller girl looked proud that she had mastered the art after years of practice.

The four overwhelmed the gargoyle monster until he tried flying away but Garmadon grabbed his ankle and forced him down, slamming him into the pavement, "You bastard…" he seethed. "I swear when I wake up, I'm going to find your physical form and tear you apart…"

"Let's be reasonable…" he swallowed.

"There is no reasoning… we won did we not?" Tanaka and Kasai held two swords at his throat.

The enemy groaned in annoyance, "Well then… I suppose I will let everyone out…" he looked away, "not to mention I need to hide from Masuta when he finds out about this!" he muttered worriedly.

Everything disappeared and when their six sets of eyes opened, they were staring at the ceiling. They quickly sat up, trying to register their surroundings.

"How long were we asleep?" Wu held his head.

Tanaka frowned and got up and looked at the window. He clicked his tongue, "I'd say…" he paused, "Three days…"

"What!?" Kasai jumped up, feeling weak in the legs. "Yea… maybe…" He wiggled his toes, legs tingling from being asleep.

Namiko moved her loose strands of hair to the side, "How come we're all fine? We're not starving or more boney?"

"Possibly… Gahrann has the ability to stall things like that? Remember how he said that he could affect our physical bodies?" Misako leaned back against her pillows as Tanaka looked out the windows to see if anybody was stirring in the houses. She nervously looked down at her stomach, hoping the baby would be okay.

"I think the town is waking up…" Wu looked out as well, seeing people quickly emerging from their houses and looking around, dazed.

"So… we didn't catch Gahrann… but the town woke up… is this a win or fail?" Namiko crossed her legs on the bed.

Garmadon shrugged, "We're alive and helped the town so screw whatever my dad has to say about that…" he forced himself up and picked his girlfriend up in his arms. "We're all still alive… and that counts for something…"

**Uuugh I hate fight scenes... I think I did better in Kill Garmadon than this scene XD Hehe, oh well though I did my best ;) **

**I've been combining chapters like crazy because some are just way too short to stand alone and some chapters are gonna be like... 5/6 pages XP**

**Thanks for reading :) **

**~Mar**


	20. Decision and Consequence

Masuta's blue eyes opened when he heard the sound of the gates opening and then closing. He stood up from his seat in the library and came out to see his students had returned.

"Where have you all been? It has been almost a week!" he looked partially relieved to see they looked okay. "Why didn't you try calling? Sending a letter? Anything!"

Tanaka was the first to bow, "We have succeeded master. The one stirring up trouble was a gargoyle called "Gahrann the Dreamer"… he put us under as well for about three days…"

"Yea and then Garmadon thought he could make a deal and if he lost he'd get killed!" Kasai lightly punched Garmadon in the shoulder. The red eyed nineteenth year old narrowed his eyes and the black haired kid backed off.

"Gahrann!?" Masuta went back to that. "His people guard people's dreams… but it seems he went rogue and started dream eating to gain power… you are lucky to come back with your lives in tact… Three days is nothing compared to how long he could have kept you there…"

Misako mindlessly palmed her stomach and looked down, "Masuta… there's something…" she looked at Garmadon and swallowed, "We… we want to talk to you about … something important…"

The others looked at the two like they were walking to their deaths. It's exactly what it felt like as their heavy footsteps traveled up the stairs, across the deck, and down the hall in the study room. How were they going to explain this one? They had to tell him sometime anyways, he would eventually notice.

The four slowly followed behind, hoping to catch a word or two.

"Something is obviously bothering you… so tell me what it is…" the tall master stood, waiting patiently for what they wanted to talk about.

The pale faces of the nineteen year olds looked at one another and then back, "I'm pregnant…" Misako wiped her eye, "And Garmadon is the father…" she swallowed, looking at her feet. "I… I just found out about a week ago… just before we set out to Yumei to fight Gahrann…"

Masuta had an unreadable expression on his face. It started wracking Garmadon's nerves to the point where it was shown on his pale face. "We don't regret it…" he squeezed her hand.

"It was me…" Misako looked down. "The… the night of my birthday… I went in and asked if he would…"

Masuta folded his hands together in front of him, looking at his son with expectation, "And you agreed?"

"I love her and I don't regret anything…" He pulled her closer, "So if you're gonna scold and punish me… we'll leave… we'll live to the city or whatever… but I'm not going to stick around…" he started shaking. "Not if you're going to treat me like a child…"

"I allowed you two to… _date_… but this is something else…" Masuta shook his head.

Garmadon was about to respond but he paused, staring at his father, "I'm sorry… _what?_"

"Garmadon…" Misako whispered.

He brushed her behind him. "No no no… you _allowed_ us to date?" he started sarcastically laughing, "I'm gonna be twenty, I've been a legal adult… you can't control me like how it use to be… no, once I hit eighteen, we dated on our own… I didn't need your _permission _to love my girlfriend…"

Wu, Kasai, and Namiko's ears were pressed to the door as they attentively listened to the argument brewing between the father and son. Tanaka walked down the hall to find them there and shook his head with a sigh.

"It is rude to eavesdrop…" he told the younger students.

"Shh!" Kasai hushed.

Tanaka rolled his gray eyes and gave in, standing above Kasai and listened in as well.

"So what you're saying is… you… you who are the most ignorant, childish man I've ever seen, would be the father to that baby?"

"Just like you to think I can't accept consequences…"

"Well that's because you can't… you never could… I try to be honest and tell you consequences and like a little boy you run away, screaming and crying and breaking things…"

Misako silently sat in the corner, covering her face as they went at it, back and forth, and getting louder with each comeback.

"You know what? Screw this! Screw you! You never paid attention to me and suddenly you want to be involved in my love life? You like Misako anyways!"

His father looked at him in his red eyes, "Exactly… I don't want her to be put in harm's way…"

"Why would I ever hurt her?!" he gestured to her. "She is the only thing that's kept me sane my whole life!"

"You're blood Garmadon!" the blonde man with the long braid shouted louder than anyone ever heard in probably a hundred years or more, "You were bitten by a cursed snake and you have no idea what you could become!"

The brunette straightened up more, still glaring, "This isn't your decision… it's Misako's and mine…" he darkly said.

"A decision every father should know about or be involved in…"

"I never wanted you in my life…" Garmadon hissed back. "Fathers help their kids… they're there for them when they need it most and all you did was anger me, lie to me, and let me run away… Fathers don't need to know what their children do after their adults in their own bedrooms…"

"Well this one does when his son is cursed…"

Garmadon's eyes widened. Masuta never really came out and said it. Suddenly the reality of that hit him. He couldn't say another thing back though.

"STOP IT!" Misako finally shouted at both of them. She wiped her eyes which were bloodshot. "Just stop it!" She quickly left the room when the other four scrambled out of the way as she opened the shut door.

She didn't even pay attention or notice them as she ran out. They looked inside and saw the father and son standing feet apart. The son gave one last angered look and ran away.

* * *

"I don't want to go back… I don't ever want to go home…" Misako hiccupped. "I want to live anywhere but there and have our baby…"

"I know…" he quietly whispered to her. "We'll run away… forever… we don't owe the world anything…"

She sniffed and looked up, "But we can't and you know that…" she wiped her eyes. "We can't just turn our back on everything we learned all these years…"

"Maybe we can…"

"Stop… don't say things like that…" she shook her head. "After all the morals and… are you just going to abandon that? You saw what we did in Yumei… we helped a town…"

"I know…" he quietly said. "And it felt… good to do something like that for once… but I don't want to bear that burden… I want to be normal… I don't a father who created the world… I don't want to be chosen, or special…"

The two walked together into the town, hoping to stay away forever.

* * *

Masuta had left on his own little trip a month later and regretfully, Garmadon and Misako returned home after a week of being away. It scared the other students a bit when they were gone longer than a day because they feared they'd be gone forever and would never see them again.

The two nineteen year olds kept attempting plans to move out but they just couldn't. His father never said another word to them, though Garmadon seemed to ignore him and anything he said to them anyways.

Soon after their teacher was gone, Tanaka and Wu were really the only ones who continued to practice and train. Namiko simply sat and watched the two, especially Tanaka, and Kasai finally was done with her watching and quietly flirting with him.

As she was walking down the hall to go to her room, Kasai grabbed her arm and pulled her into his room. "What's up with you? Why do you always look at Tanaka like that?"

She was taken aback by the sudden question and shrugged and sat back, "He's cute… and strong…"she smiled dreamily. "Not to mention such a gentleman," she bounced on the balls of her feet.

He folded his arms and looked away grumpily, "Boy is that shallow Nami…"

She blushed and grimaced at him, "Oh yea? Like what? If I liked you or Wu or something would that not be shallow?" she raised an eye brow. "Why do you even care?"

He pulled on the hem of his gray shirt shifted his shoulders nervously, "… well… maybe it's because I like you… like like… not just how we use to like each other…" the words spluttered out.

Her big brown eyes widened and she covered her mouth. "You do!?" He pursed his lips and nodded quickly, embarrassed splashed on his face.

She slipped her hand in his and smiled, "Well… I'm not so sure about… dating… but… thanks for at least being honest…"

"And sorry I called… you uh… shallow…" Kai looked away, face turning red.

* * *

Garmadon tiredly opened his eyes. He was always the first to wake up. He turned to look at Misako who was sleeping with him again, ever since they found out about the baby.

Something was off though because he couldn't hear the sound of her light breathing. His eyebrows furrowed and sat up. "Misako?" he worriedly looked. He kicked the covers off and found her shorts soaked with blood and the sheets underneath.

He spent no time waking everyone up, freaking out and having a meltdown. He was almost happy though his father was gone for a while because if he saw him like this there would be more arguing and screaming at one another and less attention to the one actually in pain.

Wu finally yanked his brother down by his long sleeve, "Sit down!" Garmadon limply fell into the uncomfortable emergency room chair.

"She'll live…" Tanaka held his hands up. "You know she'll be okay".

"Yea she was bleeding you idiot! How would you like it if your girl was? Especially if she was pregnant!?" Garmadon growled back defensively. He jumped back up and went into her hospital room. Misako was staring blankly at the ceiling, "It's me…"

She turned her head and didn't say anything. It was close to midnight and they'd been there almost a whole day. "You…" he looked down and swallowed, "okay?"

Her emerald eyes watered and held his hand. "It would have been a boy…" she weakly smiled through the pain. "Fourteen weeks…" She turned her head back and the silent tears bubbled out.

He looked down at the obnoxiously white sheets, "I wanna marry you…" he brushed her light hair back, "I wanna marry you and try again…"

"I'd… I'd like that," she managed to smile ever so slightly. "A lot…" she closed her eyes as he kissed her forehead.

**Uuuuugh this was two combined... I figured "Hey! Why just throw them together?" Man I posted this story over a month ago and we ain't even a quarter of the way there! XD **

**So I'll see ya in the next update hopefully :) Thanks for reading**

**~Mar**


	21. One Step Ahead

"Well… they're official…" Namiko kicked her feet up on the tree branch she was seated on. Kasai and Wu were also up in the tree with her. It was an unnaturally hot day for May. "Wonder what a honeymoon is like…" she reached up to pick the hanging fruit from the blossom clusters.

"Why is it even called that?" Kasai yawned, closing his eyes.

"Well I don't know… I don't even know how it got its name," Wu laughed. "Kind of a goofy term ya know?"

Namiko tossed some cherries down to the boys hanging out on lower branches and started eating them, "So… Tanaka went back to visit his grandfather… Garmadon and Misako are probably off on the making goo goo eyes and doing the do on a beach… what do you want to do?"

Wu scrunched his nose, "Sometimes I think raising you working in a bar was not a great decision for your father…" he looked up at her. "Sometimes you say things that are… weird…"

Namiko blurted out laughing, spitting out a huge cherry pit that dropped to the stone pavement, "Boy you're so weird too Wu!" she smiled. The brunette swung her legs over so that they dangled, "In all seriousness… I want to get out of here for a while… Let's go camping!"

"The last official camping trip we had… we almost were killed by a wizard…" Kasai scratched behind his ear.

The girl of the trio tilted her head back and forth, considering what the boys were thinking and she shrugged, "Well; I ain't gonna sit around!" she jumped down from her high seat without attempting to climb. "Who wants to have a Spinjitsu match?"

She finally suggested something the two boys couldn't say no to. They jumped down too, "Remember… nothing below the belt and no weapons to the face… in robes…" she held a finger up before they started.

The groaned but obeyed. They all used their Spinjitsu to change into fighting clothes, Namiko's was a ruby colored one, Kasai's was a brown color, and Wu's was gray with hints of pale gold on the edging.

"Nami, those are your ninja robes now?" Wu looked at her red tunic with a train that went down to the backs of her knees and was opened from the waist down.

She whipped out her sharpened, silver edged fans and smirked, "Oh why? Did ya forget I was a girl?" she pulled her hood over her long hair, her brunette swirls hanging from the back of the mask.

Kasai pulled out a sword and smirked, "Well I didn't…" Namiko blushed under her hood. They didn't quite tell Wu that they were in a relationship quite yet. After a week or so of considering, Namiko said yes to Kasai's affection.

Wu's was gray and black and he held a pair of nun chucks in his hands. "Who's first?"

"How about I fight the winner?" Namiko suggested.

Masuta watched the three take their stances as he walked by, "I am going into town… I will be back before sunset," he told them. "Do not break anything please".

"Yes master!" Kasai shouted and they turned their attention back to their duel.

Right away Kasai whipped around and kicked Wu back against the tree, head banging the thick trunk. Kasai laughed and was immediately hit in the face by Namiko's fist.

As Wu recovered, something didn't feel right. He looked around curiously, trying to get a sense of what it was. "Wu! Ya gonna join our fight again or what?" Kasai shouted across the courtyard.

Wu stood up, leaning on the tree for support. "Wait… I… uh… guess I sense something…" he frowned. The sixth sense thing belonged to his father and Tanaka but he never thought that he could have a power like that.

_Gooooold_

The blonde jumped and threw his hood back, "Someone's here…" he pulled his weapons back out quickly. The other two ran over to him, weapons in hand. "Who's there?!"

"My you're a perceptive one…" a voice laughed.

Wu's blue eyes widened. "Where have I heard this voice before…?" he muttered, trying to think.

"You're the blonde… with your brother that night I was thrown out of here…"

Wu straightened up, "Oh no…" he looked around quickly, searching for the person he knew it was. _"What was his name again? Silas… Silan…" _Wu turned the names in his head until he remembered, "You're… name was Sigan…"

The voice laughed, "Oh so you do remember me…"

"I remember too…" Namiko swallowed.

"Where are ya? Show yourself; unless you're scared of the greatest students of Masuta!" Kasai boasted.

A black figure appeared almost out of nowhere. His eyes glowed blue and his suit was black and cyan with strange clock like symbols all over it. There was a strange and eerie aura to him after all these years.

"You mean that-"

"I'm Sigan? Yes… but I'm now… the Time Ninja…" he laughed.

Kasai's eyes widened, "How did-"

"I know what you were going to say?" Sigan finished again. He chuckled. "Well, after the run in and getting… thrown out and such… I searched for anything… anything that could give me power… or everlasting life… or just enough to stand up against Masuta and all of you…"

"That's impossible!" Wu shouted. He looked into the swirling blue eyes of their enemy. "Wait… unless you-"

"Exposed myself to the Chrono Crater? Yes… good guess because I did…" Sigan nodded. "I can now know whatever it is before you do it or say it…" he looked around. "My… where are the older students? Ran off?"

"Busy at the moment," The three took a stance. "And we know you've come back for-"

"The Golden Weapons?"

"DAMN IT! Can you stop doing that!? It's-"

"Getting annoying?" Sigan finished yet again, smirking.

Kasai's eyes burned with fire in them, "Okay… I want to-"

"Beat my ass in?" He shook his head, tutting, "My my… that doesn't sound like language a student of the great Masuta would use…"

"AAAAAAARGH!" Kasai roared again, "That's it!" he charged first.

"KASAI WAIT!" Namiko screamed.

Sigan pulled out a strange looking sword that resembled a clock hand and was able to strike first.

"KASAI!" Namiko screamed and clapped her hands over her mouth.

It wasn't a fatal blow. Sigan just disabled his fighting arm with the edge of his blade, stabbing the seventeen year old ninja in the shoulder, probably severing some tendons in the process. The black hair teen crumpled to the ground, trying to wish the pain away.

"Let us not make things any more complicated… shall we?" Sigan returned the clock handle sword to his sheath. "I hate to make a mess…"

The open wound on Kasai was pooling under him and soaking into the cracks in the stones. Wu and Namiko opened their weapons again and charged with careful steps. Sigan kept dodging their attacks gracefully.

It was hard to believe the teenager they met years ago was now a master fighter who could predict their every move without much effort to it.

All three were knocked to the hard ground, head's spinning. Sigan walked past the three collapsed ninja and stepped up and inside to find the Golden Weapons.

If neither could get up, Masuta would be in town all day and would never know until it was far too late; then, there was the matter of Kasai probably bleeding to death which was wracking his friend's nerves, watching his tan skin pale and blood pool around him, soaking into his dark colored ninja suit.

Wu was the first to force himself up. Namiko was kneeling next to Kasai, trying to comfort him. Wu let out a breath, "Nami… do you know what sort of powers you have yet?" he looked back.

Namiko looked down and frowned. Tanaka controlled the weather, Misako had power over wind, Garmadon was shadows, and Wu was light. She and Kasai were still unable to find an ability to call their own.

"You're Spinjitsu is the color of blood…" the blonde pondered aloud.

The girl looked at her hands and frowned. She couldn't keep her body from shaking as her tunic was smeared with her unconscious friend's blood. Tears formed in her eyes and then her hands glowed. "Healing magic?" she looked up.

Wu smiled weakly, "You're hands were made for healing… not destroying…" he dropped down next to her.

Her glowing hands touched the wounds Kasai received and they closed up. The black haired teen opened one brown eye lazily and moaned. Wu sighed with relief and Namiko covered her mouth with her bloody hands. "I did it…" she looked down at Kasai, "Can you stand?"

Kasai pushed himself on all fours, "I can try…" he wiped his bleeding lip, rotating his shoulder whose tendons had been fully healed. "I wanna get back for that stab…"

The three stood together and slowly walked inside their home, ready to try again. "He foresees our moves primarily because we take a split second too long deciding what to do I think…" Wu frowned.

"Then we'll have to fight without a second thought… we must let it flow…" Namiko opened her left hand fan in a single swoosh. "It might give us a better chance…"

"SIGAN!" Wu shouted in the quiet monastery.

As expected, the Time Ninja walked out and stood, ready. "Aw… so… you want me to finish the job this time…"

They all drew their weapons, "This time, we won't lose…" Kasai smirked.

Sigan silently charged first with great speed. His narrow frame weaved in and out of their placed weapons in motion.

He went to bring out his clock hand like blade when he choked on his air. He looked to Wu whose hard end of his nun chucks smacked him in the sternum. Wu was satisfied with look of genuine shock on the Time Ninja's face.

While Sigan may have been able to see what was coming, he couldn't move out of the way in time for Kasai to slice his fighting arm open and Namiko quickly shut her sharpened fan and turned it to the blunt end and jabbed him between the eyes.

Kasai and Wu released him and he dropped to the floor, hand clutching the sliced shoulder and forearm, "How did-" he wheezed.

"We do that?" Kasai finished with a smirk. "We figured if we all did different things at once… you couldn't possibly dodge everything in time… you rely on our next move thinking… if we didn't hesitate as much, you wouldn't have as much time to think…"

Sigan managed a one handed cartwheel on his good arm and stood in front of the doors to the monastery, sliced arm limp at his side. "You think a little poor attack like that can stop me? Haha… I can speed up time too kids… I wonder what you'd all look like in… ten… no… twenty? Maybe more… how about we find out? Let's be surprised!"

The three were alarmed to see his hands glowing in blue flames. He looked at the three with depthless blue eyes as he brought his hands together, ignoring the arm that was sliced open less than a minute ago.

Wu's own blue eyes darted left and then right at his friends on either side. He swallowed and spread his arms to shove them both out of the line of fire, exposing himself dead center for more time than Sigan needed.

Namiko's temple hit the wood floor, making her black out, for how long, she couldn't know.

When her brown eyes finally opened again Sigan was on the floor, cringing and yelping in pain as Kasai stood above the man, katana slowly cutting up the foe's stomach, "I can go deeper you know…" he growled. Sigan screamed for mercy.

She squeezed her eyes shut, seeing all the blood and opened wounds on the Time Ninja, "DE-AGE HIM!" he roared. "DO IT NOW!"

"I CAN'T AND I WON'T!" Sigan screamed back. "AAAAAAAAAAH!"

"KASAI STOP THIS!" Namiko used the table to hoist herself into a standing position. She jerked his arm back, sparing the enemy more pain.

The sword clattered to the ground and all that was heard was the labored breathing of Sigan. Kasai looked at the sword and then back to her. "What the hell Nami!? Why did you stop me!? I'm trying to help Wu!"

"Wu told me my hands are for healing!" she shouted back. "And I can't watch as you tear someone apart… LITERALLY! Kasai he doesn't know any better… that Chrono-Crater really screwed his head up more than it already was…"

"He's a psycho… a time psycho… Masuta would want him dead,"

"Who dead?" they gasped and turned around.

"You piece of scum…" Sigan spluttered out, blood dripping down his chin. "You train your students to kill whoever it is in their path!?"

"You are very injured…" Masuta nodded, gaze lifting to Kasai. "Kasai; that is your sword…" The younger teenager silently nodded, "Why are you torturing an unarmed foe who was disabled long before you started to mutilate him? I understand he tried to harm you… but it was obvious you had ceased his attacks before this."

Kasai hesitated and looked back at Wu, lying unconscious. "It wasn't my fault! He was gonna age us so he'd kill us in the process!"

Masuta's blue eyes widened and he stepped over Sigan's writhing body to look his youngest son over. He pressed a hand to Wu's face, saying absolutely nothing for several minutes. He looked back, "He must not be very good… he was only going to age you all by…" he narrowed his eyes, "Ten… ten years," he nodded, "Wu's still alive… so don't worry…"

The other two breathed in relief. "What about him?" Kasai glared.

Namiko brushed her hands off on her clothes and walked over to the man that just tried to kill all three of them, "It'll hurt for a moment…" her hands glowed again.

Masuta silently watched her use the magic until the wound that Kasai had made was mostly sealed up; he was still wounded, but not on the brink of death. "Now… you will leave and never come back… or else I will not be around to do this again for you…"

Sigan was able to stand on his own, "Damn you brat…" he hissed at her. She had a hard look on her face and stepped backwards, "Don't worry… I will be back… only I should take you out first little Namiko".

**Long one I know. My dad loved the idea of a time ninja because I was unsure about putting him in too much... my dad told me to go for it resulting in this chapter xD **

**So look, Kasai learns a bit of a lesson... I figured this would be something that Kai would do so "Why not make his dad like that too?" **

**Thanks for reading :) **

**~Mar**


	22. Land of Ice

Garmadon and Misako stepped together, holding hands as they walked back through town, on the road that would lead them back to their home. They looked far happier than anyone ever saw them.

"I can't believe a month has already gone by…" Misako leaned against him more. "But we needed it…"

He picked her up around the waist and kissed her, "Yea… we should do it again sometime".

She blushed and laughed. He set her down and they climbed the steps up to the monastery. Together, they pushed the gates opened and stepped through them. Tanaka was the only one not at home, for he was in the home he grew up in before he left for the counsel of Masuta.

"Welcome back!" Namiko smiled, greeting them first. "It's good to have you back…"

"Wish I could say it's good to be back…" Garmadon frowned, forgetting the good mood he was in on the way over.

The younger ninja girl didn't have the heart to say what had gone down a week ago when Sigan attacked them, so she'd let Masuta tell them that one.

Wu on the other hand, was freaking out quite a bit when he woke up, being told he was now ten years older than what his teenage mind was saying to him. He didn't leave his room for four days and now that big brother Garmadon and his still crush, Misako was back, he wanted to slink back to his safe bed yet again.

Namiko did explain though about her new healing powers, "I'm just a little uncomfortable with… so much blood… you know?" she rubbed her slender hands together.

Misako nodded, understand the seventeen year olds conflict, "Yea… I understand, you're healer but you're a ninja… and sometimes we'll have to… do things that we don't want to…" she looked at Kasai next, "You were pretty damn brave standing up to Sigan like you did".

There was a knock on the door and Misako decided to answer it. It was the mail so she poured over several letters, one from Namiko's father, and some other garbage, but she stopped at the bottom one.

It was addressed from Tanaka.

She frowned, opening it up. If he was there for almost a month, what would he be doing that he would send a letter?

_To my family,_

_I am in my hometown where I was born; Yosho Island. It's a little town in the center of a huge lake. Winter is long over and the snow should be gone from this beautiful place. But it is not. When my grandfather and uncle sent word I had to come. I am sorry I did not share the news with you of it. _

_However, if you're reading this letter, I am most likely either captured or dead. Not sure which is the more likely situation… Well I suppose that is unimportant for the time being. I sent this ahead of time, before I went into Frost Cave. I wish I knew what was in there really but something is causing this elongated winter. _

_Otherwise, I hope you are all well, and that you will come as swiftly as possible. My grandfather shall greet you at the gates of the city and invite you into their home where they shall explain the rest of my story. He is the town elder._

_Hurry please!_

_Tanaka Fujiyoka_

Everyone looked at the neatly hand written letter from their strange friend with wide eyes. Misako folded it up and ran to grab her back pack and some warmer clothes, as did the others. Without another word to Masuta; they dragged Wu out of his room and set off.

* * *

Yosho was a peaceful place without any of the technology they had being so close to the city, which was a little foreign to them. There were no cars, but carts, no phones, televisions, or anything electronic. Maybe an occasion radio some of the younger adults kept hidden from their elders.

It was rather obvious most of the young people wished for technology instead of their mundane, traditional lives like their ancestors.

"No wonder Tana left this place…" Garamadon chuckled, joking around with Kasai while Misako shook her head.

"Well… I think old towns like this preserve history beautifully," she smiled, looking at the old, thatched roofs. "I hope they don't modernize…"

Garmadon rolled his red eyes, "Just like you like old things… just like your parents…" he sighed.

She went stiff and eyed him. Wu came between the two in an uncomfortable fashion, "Well I agree with Misako". He smiled at her. "Sometimes we need reminders about the past".

"Great… even though no one asked for your opinion…" Garmadon fired back at his younger brother with a faked smile. "Besides… you're just a kid, stop acting like an adult… your body may be twenty seven, but you're still a teenager…"

Namiko snapped her fingers and discreetly pointed ahead, "Come on… this must be Mr. Fujiyoka…" she whispered.

"Are you the friends Tanaka spoke about?" the old man asked them. The five nodded their heads quietly. In fact, the whole town was pretty quiet. "Oh thank the gods…" he brought his hands together. "Come… I'll tell you the rest of what the letter did not say…"

Since there was no technology at all, there were no air conditioners or heater. Ever though the ninja lived in a monastery, they still had radiators at least. Misako shivered, even under her green scarf and several layers of clothing.

"It's June… how can it possibly be this cold?" she asked.

"I'll tell you right now," he unlocked the door to his home and brought them inside where the fireplace was already working hard to keep the small house warm.

Misako sat right next to it, rubbing her arms. Her husband sat next to her and wrapped his arms around her to try and help.

"My name's Armin…" the old man finally said. "Tanaka has said plenty about you in his time here…" he looked at each other. "You must be Namiko… Tanaka has told me you had quite a crush on him…"

Namiko blushed fiercely and looked away. "Uh… yea… but I don't think it would have worked out in the end…" she held Kasai's hand, trying to laugh it off.

"Right he always said Kasai was a little jealous… Oh and of course, you're Wu…" he looked at the blonde with a smile. "And judging by the wedding rings, Garmadon and Misako…" he nodded at them.

"That's us…" Misako stood up again. "Now…" she sat at the table, "Tell us about what happened here…"

Armin nodded and the others sat too.

The old man told them about a mythical army of ice warriors that could turn the land to snow and ice at their mere presence. Two leaders rallied warriors and staged a coup and only one warrior remained. No one of course believed in it, until spring turned cold and by May, it was freezing.

"Tanaka went to Frost Cave because he believed the myth… it was said that the cave is always cold, and in the depths, pure ice," the old man went on, "but ever since Tanaka left for there, it has gotten colder!"

The others exchanged glances and nodded. It was obviously no myth, Tanaka must have figured it out and upset the creatures.

"Which way to Frost Cave then?" Kasai grinned.

"You mean you really believe my grandson?" Armin blinked, surprised.

Wu nodded, "He may be a little… strange, but he's really smart about these kinds of things… point us in the right direction and we'll go!"

* * *

The hollow, echoing caves proved to be rather eerier for the young adults to travel through. The ice was so thick when they reached deeper that not even their torches could make an impression in it.

Finally, there came a fork in their road.

"Which way?" Wu nervously looked.

"You three go to the right, Misako and I will take the left…" Garmadon nodded and started walking down the left tunnel. Wu swallowed and pressed on, scared for the two that went the other way.

He at least had Kasai and Namiko.

* * *

"I feel like we're walking round in circles…" Misako pulled her scarf up, above her runny nose; she didn't do too well with the cold.

"Come on…" he pulled her along. "There's only one tunnel right? Not like they can change…"

Misako looked more jumpy, "Don't say that!" she snapped at him. "It might be true," she slowly looked behind out of paranoia, and scuttled up closer to her husband.

Garmadon sighed and shook his head, "Tell ya what; stop complaining… or else I'm not gonna take my pants off for you ever again…" he smirked to himself.

"Yea… fair trade… unless we die here!" her muffled voice snapped back. She straightened up, "And shush! It echoes in here!" she looked behind again. Suddenly, she was more worried about someone hearing _that_.

Then the married couple heard the trudging of snow and Misako literally jumped into her husband's arms, making him drop their torch which went out right away in the snow.

"Shit Misako!" he cursed in the dark, still holding onto her though.

"I thought I heard someone following us!" she squealed.

"Damn it Mimi! There's nothing but your _very vivid _imagination!" he shouted at her.

She scoffed in the dark, "Yea… vivid imagination… like you would know…"

"Shut up!"

"No you shut up!"

"I can't even see where I'm going!"

"GARMADON DON'T PUT ME DOWN!"

"Why not?!"

"I'm scared!"

"Of the dark!?"

"You are too!"

"How did you know about that?" he gasped, sounding almost offended.

They bickered back forth without moving on in the pitch black ice cave as the trudging sound came closer to them.

"Something touched me!" Garmadon yelped.

"Sorry… was that me?"

"I don't think so…" he swallowed, "You can't reach my leg from the position you're in…"

* * *

Wu, Kasai, and Namiko ran as fast they could: wanting to find Tanaka and at the same time, keep them warm. "Is it just me… or is it getting colder?" Wu shivered and wiped his nose.

Namiko stopped, "I think you're right…" she frowned and lowered the scarf around her hair and ears.

_"__Get out" _a hissing sound said to them through a cold breeze from deeper in the cave. Namiko backed up against Kasai who wrapped his arms around her protectively.

"Come on… we gotta find out what that is…" the black haired ninja swallowed.

"You crazy!?" Wu shouted at them. "We gotta find Garmadon and Misako and get out of here! Maybe Tanaka's even dead!"

Kasai looked down and sighed. He quickly grabbed the back of Wu's coat and started dragging him with one arm, "All the more reason to stop… whatever this thing is that's freezing everything over!"

The trio ran faster.

***waves arms* ooooh, lame spookiness of stupidity! So... is Tanaka alive!? What do YOU THINK?! O-o I am really tired and have not been sleeping well I'm sorry I'm a dork... I'm just gonna go over here and hope someone is reading this piece of bullshit I am spending hours at a time working on :P**

**Thanks if you are reading this :3**

**~Mar**


	23. The Last Ice Warrior

Garmadon and Misako, opened their eyes, but their bodies didn't move as quickly as they would have liked. "Where are we?" he groaned.

_"__In my solitude of ice."_

Garmadon blinked, "Is the wind talking to us?" he looked around, not seeing any physical person around who could be talking to them. "Or am I going crazy?"

More footsteps and the two breathed in relief as they saw the figure of their friend, Tanaka. "Thank the Spinjitsu Master you're alive!" Misako held a hand to her chest and smiled.

Tanaka didn't answer back though. The two studied his gray eyes and saw they were pupil-less and completely white. His skin was blue and hair, an off white.

"What happened to you?" She slowly got up. "Tanaka?"

Garmadon held a hand out to her, "Careful!"

_"__I am not Tanaka, his body is now fused with my soul," _he answered back. It was not his kind and patient voice though. Instead it sounded hollow and wheezy. _"My name is Tosho and you are trespassing on my land"._

"There's a whole village on your land then…" Misako folded her arms tightly, seeing her breath as she spoke. "You can't just uproot a century old village… all that history…"

Garmadon ran a gloved hand through his hair and sighed, "Mimi, you can't reason with an obvious psycho monster."

Misako extended a hand back, signaling for him to keep quiet while she worked. "The legend is true yes? You're the last Ice Warrior? Right?"

_"__You have sympathy in your voice… I laugh at that"._

Misako frowned, "Well then… you better release my friend" she pointed. "We're ninja and we have three more on their way!"

_"__Sorry you mean them?"_ Tosho in Tanaka's body stepped aside and Wu, Namiko, and Kasai's bodies lay limp on the ice floor, their skin a very pale shade of blue.

Misako covered her mouth and Garmadon yanked her by the arm, back to him. He didn't want her to end up like them. "If you release Tanaka and the others… we'll leave… you'll never see us again…"

"There you go cutting more stupid deals!" Misako punched him. He was surprised to have some wind knocked out of him. "You did it with Gahrann…" she clenched her teeth. "Don't you care about Tanaka's family and village?"

"I only care about getting you and those three dingbats over there out of this mess!"

"Why do you have to be like that huh?" she looked very mad now. "We're ninja… you better start remembering that…"

He looked at her with his glowing crimson eyes, not finding a good thing to say back to her. She turned around let out a breath. She took a step and twisted her body around into her silver tornado of Spinjitsu.

She had changed from her coat and scarf to her silver and green ninja robes and removed a scythe from her back sheath. "You want something done right… you need to take a stand… not cutting cheap deals that will end in your certain death…"

Garmadon did the same and appeared in his black and purple suit, swords in hand. "Fine then… we'll do it your way…" he raised an eyebrow under his purple hood. "Mind my asking… what is your plan?"

"Well… we don't want to hurt Tanaka's body…" she frowned. "We'll have to figure out some way to get the spirit out… if Namiko was awake… then maybe we'll have a shot… but our powers won't do us much good… well… maybe shadow might…"

Ice crystals danced out of the palms of Tanaka's soulless shell and braided itself into a beam, aimed for the married couple. Misako cart wheeled out of the way and Garmadon ducked, nearly missing the shot.

His wife made her way to where Wu and the others lay asleep. She started shaking Wu, "Come on! You have light powers damn it!" she growled, lightly slapping his face. "Wake up Wu!" she growled. She frowned, starting to give up.

His head turned and he tried to open one eye and Misako smiled, "There you are…" she half laughed.

"What's going on?"

"I know you just woke up… but we can use a little warmth right now…" she looked back as Garmadon stalled and blocked her from getting hit by the ice warrior. "Come on," she pulled the younger brother upright. His legs and back were stiff from the subzero temperature as he tried to get use to move his locked up joints again.

He wrapped his arms around himself and his hands glowed an orangey gold color, his skin restored most of its natural color and he stretched up. "Ninja-GO!" his gold Spinjitsu came to life. "Okay… I'm back," he tiredly grinned.

"'Bout time you showed up to the party little brother," Garmadon weaved around another ice blast, sending a dark ray of dark energy back at the enemy.

Wu slid in with Misako between the two, "Sorry about that," he cracked his knuckles and pulled out a sword. "I'm ready now though…" He painfully looked at Tanaka's white form. "We'll save ya buddy…"

"I'll charge at him and he'll be too occupied with me for when you two come on both sides, hitting him with everything you have," Misako smirked to herself, eyes on Tosho.

Garmadon quickly tried to veto her plan though, "You'll be risking yourself more than us; no way, I'll charge-"She kissed him quickly and took off. "Misako!" he rolled his head back as she went on ahead without letting him get a word in.

"Come on!" Wu tugged on his sleeve and they did as she told them to do.

Wu however ran all the way around, getting an idea of his own to add. He came up from behind, bare hand pressing against Tosho's ice cold back and let the warm light glow.

The ice warrior parasite howled in pain and Misako swiped the blunt end of her scythe, knocking him back. They got the monster on the floor and the brothers held him down. "Tanaka I know you're in there," Misako heavily breathed, "And we sure could use your willpower right now…"

"That can't work, and if it did, it would be really cliché," Garmadon felt cold creeping through him as he held onto to Tosho in Tanaka's body. "Not everything is like a movie…"

"You of little faith…" another voice escaped the lips of Tanaka's blue body. He chuckled but he snapped back to Tosho.

"What are you doing!?" Tosho hissed.

Tanaka laughed, "I'm taking my body back you monster!" He grabbed Wu's hand. "Do it…" he switched back to the ice warrior.

Wu wasted no time in emitting his orange glow, right in the chest.

From Tanaka's mouth a blue frost escaped. When it left his body, Tanaka collapsed back, Misako catching him.

Tosho's frost form morphed into a more solid, faceless figure. "My my… excellent work… but you're ninja… you can't kill…"

Garmadon growled and grabbed him by the throat, not caring about the cold seeping into his body. "Yea… but we can still maim," he grinned a little too eagerly.

Tanaka pressed his fingertips in a strange pattern on the warrior's chest who let out a grown, "He cannot turn into his gaseous form to overtake bodies anymore… he's stuck like this… so most of his power is rendered… almost useless…" he coughed, suddenly feeling weak again.

Wu caught him and his hands glowed orange again, warming the older one up. "Are we going to leave him here?" he looked back at Tosho.

"IF we perform the Tornado of Creation… we can imprison him here until Masuta can come and lock him away for good…" he thought out loud.

Wu's blue eyes widened, "But we've never done that before… father said… it could have… unspeakable consequences…"

Tanaka nodded, "We only need four…" he looked up at Garmadon, Wu, and Misako. "And I can manage…"

"The elements requires is Fire, Earth, Ice, and Lightning dingus," Garmadon rolled his eyes.

The black haired young man nodded and stood up. "I always had this notion that… us four… were something more…" he looked up. "My sub power… it's obviously ice…" he looked at his hands. "I have survived here well long over when someone should have died…"

The others nodded, it making sense, "What about the rest of us though?" Garmadon asked.

"Fire…" Tanaka pointed to Garmadon, "Lightning," he pointed to Wu, "And Earth…" he looked to Misako. "Think about it guys…"

The other three didn't deny it and stood up and tried their best to channel the given element from in the souls. Then it clicked and so did the Spinjitsu tornadoes.

When the four collided, it was wobbly and started falling apart at first. Tanaka wouldn't allow that to happen though. Using every last bit of energy he had left in him, he pulled them together to create a barrier around Tosho, made of impenetrable ice.

The four spun out and collapsed the ground for a while until they felt strong enough to get back up and carry Kasai and Namiko's cold, tired bodies back home where they all belonged, safe and sound until the next enemy came around.

**Oh my gosh you guys thought Tana was dead!? Sheesh... why would you think I killed a character who was on my cover page for it XD **

**Soooooo my brother and I were doing some talkin and we were like Hey yea, Garmadon's all hard headed and angry just like Kai was especially in teh beginning (hmmm no wonder the two aren't fond of each other), Tanaka is just like Zane, all smart and cool, my brother was the one like "Wu would be the annoying younger brother like Jay" and we both concluded that Misako is the smart leader role..****.**

**That and I thought it'd be awesome if a girl was the gang leader and Garmadon would have take her orders... (speaking of taking orders... a lot later in the story I am writing this awesome idea I had)**

**So yes as you can tell I am way too excited and happy about writing this story I was originally gonna make this stupid thing... so thank you for taking your time to read the story and my dumb commentary ^-^ **

**~Mar**


	24. The Golden Weapons

Upon returned, Masuta was already aware of the four's elemental powers. Kasai and Namiko were rather jealous but all the same, happy for the four older ones.

The old Spinjitsu Master led the four into the room where he kept the Golden Weapons on display since the days of the Final Battle where he nearly died fighting the Overlord and his terrible army made of stone.

One by one he took each weapon and gave it to their new, respectful owners. "I knew there would come a time when the weapons would find their way to their ninja…" he placed the Nun chucks of Lighting in his youngest son's hand.

"I never would have guessed it'd you four…" he gave the shurakins to Tanaka who gratefully accepted them. He almost hesitated before giving the scythe to Misako. He smiled though, "Needless to say, I didn't except the Scythe of Quakes to choose a girl…"

Misako blushed and gently took the scythe by its handle. "The Element of Earth is giving to the one who was born to be a clever and strong willed leader…" The green eyed woman was surprised as well as the boys around her.

"Thank you…" she closed her eyes and smiled.

Masuta looked at the gold Sword of Fire and then at his son's glowing red eyes, hesitating even more so than he did with Misako. After a few seconds he cleared his throat and gave the sword to the oldest child. "The Sword of Fire chooses the most… impulsive one…" he avoided his son's gaze.

"You will keep these weapons safe and use them against the forces of evil… you already met many enemies… from my own past and ones you made on your own…" He referred to Sigan and Tosho. "And there is no doubt you will make even more enemies than… even I, in your lifetimes…"

The four bowed to their master and Kasai and Namiko looked at each other, happy, but still rather down about not being chosen like them.

Masuta side glanced the two youngest of the group and smiled at them. "You thought I forgot about you, correct?" he turned, folding his hands in his long sleeves.

"Oh no master!" Namiko lowered her head, embarrassed at her subtle jealous looks at the others.

"But I have not forgotten…" he said, pulling something out of his long sleeves. "For Namiko… a weapon that I have kept very close to me…" he handed her the sleek, black and silver fan with a lotus crest on it. "It was my wife's when we fought evil together…"

Namiko's brown eyes sparkled in awe as she took it, opening it up. Unlike her red fans, this one opened in a fluid motion and closed it again with ease. She held it to her chest and bowed her head. She of course never met Delilah, but heard Garmadon talk about her. "I will take good care of it master…"

He nodded, happy to see that she would be a good new owner since he did not have a daughter of his own to wield it. "For Kasai, this is one out of five swords of this kind made from an old friend, Hiroshi…" Kasai went to speak and Masuta cut him off, "Yes… the same one that made it out and named the jungle and the natives named it "Hiroshi's Labyrinth" in his honor".

Kasai had to restrain himself from squealing and jumping around like a little boy so all that showed was a goofy, excited smile on his face. Kasai came to the conclusion; definitely better than a gold sword; to him anyways.

"Now… run along…" he almost felt funny saying that to them, being they were all young adults now. It must have been force of habit.

Kasai sliced air with his sword as he was talking to Wu, "I always thought about being a blacksmith when I lived with my mom… seemed like a good line of work… do you think Hiroshi would take me on as his apprentice if I ever met him?"

Wu shrugged, "He lives all the way by Jumanokai…" he looked down, "We'd all miss you… Namiko the most"

On cue, Namiko ran over, her face looking urgent. The two boys looked at her as she gasped for breath, "Garmadon and Misako are gonna move out!" she flipped her loose hair off her shoulders and down her back.

The two jumped up as well, "WHAT?!"

She nodded, swallowing again, "I just overheard them! They got a little place on the edge of Ninjago City and they haven't told Masuta yet! I saw them packing and looked… _happy_ _about it._"

Kasai and Wu exchanged glances. Namiko was a little too much of a girl, being she treated this as if it was high school gossip. "Better talk them out of it… I guess" Kasai sighed, sheathing the sword but stopped, "Wait a minute… what if I got married? Would you all stop me from moving?"

Namiko closed her mouth, "Hmmmm, but still! We're a family! They can't just up and leave us! I should tell Masuta right now!" she huffed. "They didn't even tell us!"

"You crazy though!?" Wu blinked. "Garmadon will eat us alive if we tell dad!"

Namiko jumped, "But I don't want them to leave forever!" she cried, covering her mouth.

"We won't leave forever!" They turned around. Misako was walking out to them, scythe in hand, "We'll still have to come back… we're still ninja…" she smiled. "Garmadon and I… we just need… personal space… we've been talking about this for a while…" she tucked her light brown hair behind her ear. "Plus we have these… I doubt Masuta will just let us go so easily," she gripped the scythe.

Namiko tightly hugged Misako around the waist, she was still shorter after all, "You're my best friend! I can't let you guys just run off!"

The green eyed woman laughed and hugged her back with a smile, "You can visit whenever you want…" she looked around. "We're leaving soon though… while Masuta is out… don't tell him anything until later though okay?" she winked. "I'd like to actually look at our first home before we're dragged back".

"You two act like we're in high school…" Kasai rolled his head back and groaned. "We aren't the monastery gossip channel…"

Namiko straightened up, "No but good idea" she winked. He rolled his eyes at her silly joke.

Garmadon came out, "Come on," he grabbed his wife's hand and started running out the gates with her, he was actually smiling; which didn't make Wu feel so great, "See you guys later!" he looked back as they ran away.

Wu watched as his brother and sister–in-law left the home they grew up in for good.

"They always said they'd get out of here…"

**Had to combine with another chapter because uugh, I hate short chapters myself... **

**Thanks for reading! **

**~Mar**


	25. Black Angel

Garmadon wrapped his arms around his wife's waist and pulled her on top of him. "Two days and dad hasn't found us," he laughed at their little victory, jokingly.

Misako kissed his forehead, "Well… I still want to get actual furniture eventually…"

He sat up, "Hey… we have a table and couch, don't we?"

She laughed and shook her head, "Well… I don't mind your little blanket nests for a bed…" she sat next to him on the couch, holding his hand. "Oh… did I tell you? I got the job…" she smiled.

"At the museum?" he blinked. She nodded, smiling brightly. "That's great," he kissed her again.

"Tomorrow I start my first day as record filer at the Ninjago Natural History Museum!" She had been eyeing the position since just before they were married. Yea she was well off, but she put almost all of the money her parents left her into the wedding and the house alone.

"File keeper? Seems below you…" he raised an eyebrow.

She shrugged, "Yea well, I'll eventually get out of the step above intern…" she laughed. "Believe it or not, they pay really well for their interns".

There was a knock at their door. Misako got up first. She didn't look through the peep hole so she was quite surprised when Namiko, Kasai, and Wu were on her doorstep.

She jumped upon seeing them, "I never gave your our address!" she rubbed her forehead, sighing, "How did you find us?"

"Easy; Garmadon posted a "Stay out we're ninja" sign on the gate to the back yard…" Wu stated in a matter of fact tone. He pointed to the gate.

Misako's green eyes went wide as she rushed out to the gate and sighed loudly, "That man…" she tore it down. "Please tell me Masuta doesn't know we're here yet?"

"Don't worry, we're here because he can't find you and there's been a robbery at the Museum," Kasai folded his arms.

The older woman ran back inside, past Garmadon who jumped to his feet, "Where's the fire!? Who was that?! Was it my dad?!" he followed her into the next room and saw her removing her scythe from the wall rack. "What's that for?"

"I may be a secretary but I'm still a ninja…" she tossed him his gold sword which he fumbled in catching, having it clatter on the hard wood floor.

He picked it up quickly; "Still not following…" he looked the sword over, making sure there weren't any marks.

"That was the others," she ran out again, "We have a thief to catch!" She said it with child-like excitement. Things had gotten pretty slow since the Tosho incident and them moving out.

He quickly followed her out and caught up with the others, "So where are we going exactly?" He looked to his younger brother who was in front of him.

"We're meeting up with Tanaka at the museum!" Wu huffed as he boots hit the sidewalk. "He knows what was taken apparently…"

The five young ninja ran six more, big blocks until they reached the large structure that took up half the block on the main road. The sign above the big, brown doors read "Ninjago Museum of Natural History" and they stepped inside to see Tanaka awaiting them.

"It was this…" Tanaka pointed to the exhibit picture, "A Naginata from the dark ages of Ninjago…" he pressed his pale lips together.

Misako pushed through, almost excited for the fact that an old relic was stolen, "I read all about them at the library back at the monastery," she spoke, "This was a shadow clan that was wiped out completely… or well, at least the whole cult of it… there are still some survivors!"

"Cult?" Namiko squeaked slumping. "Survivors?!"

Misako nodded, "They sacrificed their prisoners to the Overlord before Ninjago was divided… and even after that, they believed if they kept it up, he'd come back to the mainland… they used these and several other types of pole armed weapons… they had that flashy, fake magic… nothing really real… all demonic of course…"

"Well who would want this? I mean… it looks dangerous unless you know how to use it…" Wu scratched the back of his head, curious.

The museum director; and Misako's boss came out, "Well, they most likely was going to steal something else… but the security guards got out of here in time… they may be back again…" he quickly informed them. "I would very much like to have that Naginata back… it was priceless".

The six exchanged glances, "So what? We wait it out until they come back tonight?" Kasai asked.

Garmadon couldn't help but let out a groan. The last thing he wanted was to wait around for a petty thief to try and steal something else dark and foreign, yet there he was, hours later, hiding behind the information desk, ten to one in the morning.

"Holding up okay?" Misako ducked down and winked. "You look tired," she kissed his cheek. He shot her a look but she plopped down next to him on the floor. "Nah… I know what you wanted to do tonight," she turned her body more to him and raised an eyebrow.

"Don't tempt me," he tugged on her braid.

She laughed and shook her head. "You know… you need to learn some self control," she kissed his cheek quickly. "But don't worry, I'll keep yu company behind this lonely desk".

"Where's Misako?" Wu poked his head up from behind the glass cases, groaning obnoxiously. "This is boring…"

Namiko clicked her teeth together and looked around, "I might have a clue-" a loud clatter and the sound of shattering glass was heard, making everybody jump to their feet, and ran to where the sound came from.

Garmadon banged his head on the low shelf in the circular front desk cubicle. "OUCH!" he hissed. "What the hell was that?"

"I don't know but grab you weapon," she was the first to roll out, tightening her green belt. She pressed her back against the wall, waiting for Garmadon to silently join her. They both raised the masks over their mouths and flipped their hoods up.

The leader poked one eye around the corner and saw Wu and the others, waiting for her signal. She held a fist up and then moved her hand down, signaling to go.

At one of the displays, shattered glass covered the tiled floor surrounding it. A curvy figure in a black cat suit was picking up a spear with carvings along the wooden shaft with silver ornaments dangling off of it. Misako registered the weapon already on her back was the stolen Naginata. In fact, it was a matching pair of weapons.

"Okay, drop the spear," Misako drew her gold scythe. "We wanna do this the easy way…"

The woman in the cat suit turned her head and laughed, "Sorry? What was that?" she removed her hair cap. Her hair ran down to the back of her knees in black curls, making the boys of the group wonder how all that hair could be pinned up.

From the lighting, the woman's skin looked white and there was a pinkish glint to her cat like eyes.

"Who are you?" Tanaka spun the gold shurakin in his hand.

Her black lips tugged up in a smile, "I'm actually a descendant of this cult… it belongs to me, not a museum!"

"We have these so they don't get used for the intended purposes…" Misako raised an eyebrow. "What's your name?"

"Hatsu… Hatsu Minoko…" she tucked her hair behind her ears, tying it into a ponytail. "I'm just a small time thief right now… maybe you heard of the Black Angel? I derived it from the cult name… Hei Titanshi".

"That means your clan is women dominated right? Titanshi believed that one would be chosen as a bride for the Overlord… your clan thought they could rule with him?" Misako scoffed. It was more rhetorical.

"Well then what are you going to do to us Hatsu? Some of your black magic?" Kasai mocked with a bit of a laugh.

She smirked and her eyes were a bright pink. "You asked for it". She whipped out the Naginata. "Do you know why I am the Black Angel?" she smiled eerily. "If you don't, you'll find out…"

Kasai was the first, his brown eyes glowed the same shade as Hatsu's. It looked like the young ninja was losing control of his body. "I pull his strings… for he thinks I'm someone he trusts… he sees you as the enemy… he cannot see, but he registers your auras as evil…" she laughed, "The Hei Titanshi are the ultimate wolf in sheep's clothing".

"Witchcraft…" Garmadon muttered.

Hatsu looked in his direction and smiled, "Yum…" she walked over, "I'd love to put my spell on you," the attractive thief had a strange look in her cerise eyes. "You have the eyes of the cursed… we'd make some set of partners…"

Garmadon didn't know how to respond to that one. _"Why has almost every foe we met told me this?"_

Misako planted her scythe handle in the ground and used it as her anchor point for the kick that connected to the beautiful girl's temple. She was knocked into the nearest wall, creating an impression on the beige stucko.

The others looked at Misako in surprise at what she had done. The light haired ninja looked surprised herself. Masuta did say that the scythe choose the one with the strongest will, she guessed it brought out some physical strength as well.

After the initial shock she turned her mad face on again, "Stay away from my husband!" she snapped.

Tanaka quickly black flipped, away from Kasai, "Glad she chose one of the weakest of us to attack…" The sharp blades of his shurakins reflected the strong steel katana.

Hatsu was charging back over and Misako charged first before the others could get the chance. She dodged the jab of the spear like weapon and tackled her. "You're not very good…" she scoffed.

"You're husband will be an easy one to control… he has the great venom in his blood… he is the most vulnerable…"she smiled, "And surprisingly the strongest… though you are the master of earth…" The screeching of the spear head on the gold scythe made everyone's ears sting. A pair of small black wings materialized behind her.

The hairs on the back of Misako's neck stood up before the others could scream her name. She dodged and rolled into a standing position, "Garmadon!" she shouted at him.

"The two lover boys are the easiest it seems…" she got up and stretched her back muscles while the others were occupied with Kasai and Garmadon.

Tanaka and Namiko handled Kasai no problem. The other black haired ninja in white and lavender pinned the one in the red orange one down, restraining every movement.

Wu and Misako circled on both sides of the ninja with the gold sword with the savage cerise eyes. Wu took the next charge while Misako hesitated, looking at Hatsu who picked up the spear and started backing away. She looked at Wu and bit her lip, "Go after Hatsu! She's the controller!"

Namiko hesitated, looking down at Kasai and went with him. Knowing Hatsu would surely use Garmadon to defender her, she'd have to distract her husband. Misako rolled her head back, hearing her bones cracking, "Okay sweetie… sorry if I break something…" She used the handle end of the scythe, sure not to hit him with the blade end.

In the meantime, Wu and Namiko used their nunchucks and fans to strike high and low, tiring the thief woman out. She finally was sliced by Namiko's fans across her calves and fell face first to the ground. "Release them," She planted her small foot on her back.

Misako performed a handless cartwheel and back spring, out of the way of the sword swipe by a hair and smacked him across his back twice with the blunt end of the Scythe of Quakes. Hatsu's glowing eyes dulled and the two male ninja under her control collapsed.

"Unconscious…" Tanaka observed.

"She probably won't be able to walk again…" Namiko folded her arms with a proud smile. Hatus whimpered in pain, "Oh don't worry about it, you'll be fine in a year or something".

Namiko's insides were crawling though because of what she did to disable the thief. It had to be done though if she wanted to help Kasai and Garmadon. She shut her fan with a loud 'shing' and walked out first while Misako and Wu tied Hatsu up.

**Hatsu is of my own invention because we seriously need more female villains so I figured Hatsu would be a suitable minor villain. I may even have her hook up with Sigan the Time Ninja in the future because "hey let's have some villain fun"**

**Wow this is about halfway into what I have written already... the next couple of chapters needs some work actually so I might post another in a couple of days depending if I get stuck or not... **

**~Mar**


	26. Isle of Dragons

The damages weren't as bad but the museum was still shut down for a week to do repairs on the floor, windows, walls, and to replace the display cases. Misako was given the week off with pay being she was one of the few who helped to stop Hatsu.

The young woman who stole the weapons was found to have an older sister who dabbled with magic tea mixes, settling down in a quiet life instead of taking up the ancestors' cult ways.

Her name was Mystake and she ran a shop with her young son on the other side of the Ninjago City on a little hill. Wu made a mental note to visit the little shop being he was quite curious about 'magic tea'.

Things died down for a little while for the small team of ninja, one thing they were all quite happy about.

Masuta looked at the empty wall where the Golden Weapons once rested on the racks. He sometimes regretted giving them to the young adults. It had been two years and he wished they all were still living at the monastery; they all had a lot to learn, but he decided to back off from his oldest students because they obviously wanted their own space.

However, one night, he saw something, he did not like.

"Wu… call everyone in…"

The blonde teen jumped up in bed and looked at the door. He wiped his eyes and slowly got up, doing as his father said.

"Garmadon…" Misako moaned tiredly into his mouth. She kept trying to drift off, pushing him by the shoulder, "Honey come on I'm tired…"

The high ringing of the phone snapped them awake. "Who the hell would be up and call at three in the morning!?" he stretched his arm over to try and grab the phone.

Misako let out a breath, "We're up…"

"You know why I can't sleep though," he testily grabbed the phone finally, "Who the hell is this!?"

_"__Sorry!" _

"Wu!?" Garmadon shouted.

Misako arched upright on her stomach when she heard his brother's name. "What does he want?" she whispered, shaking his shoulder.

"Misako one sec," he lowered her hand. Seconds later he hung it up and reached for his clothes, "Come on… something _urgent_. Everyone's going… pack a small bag each". He rolled his eyes.

She kicked her covers off when he tossed her bra and underwear back at her. She sighed and turned the light up, getting back into her clothes.

It was around five when they reached the top of the monastery with everyone waiting for them, "You sure took you time…" Masuta testily commented.

"Well sorry but you caught us in the middle of something very important," the oldest son fake smiled. His good mood was definitely gone as it always was when being in the presence of the old master and father. "Now where are we going?"

"We're going… to the Underworld…" the Spinjitsu Master started out of the gates without any explanation to the six. "But first, I need to make a pit stop on the way…"

The ride was rather silent except for Garmadon and Misako hanging back, quietly talking to each other. Wu and Tanaka were in front and Kasai and Namiko were between both pairs. Masuta was in the lead by himself.

"Wait, we're going to the Underworld on horses?" Kasai blinked. "How do you do that?"

Masuta shook his head, "No. That is why we're going somewhere else first…" the blonde with the long braid said without looking back.

"I don't like this…" Garmadon muttered. "Dad always said no human should go down there… and what are we doing? Going down there…"

"Why are we going is a better question," Namiko meekly said.

Masuta looked behind at the young woman with the long brown hair, "Because something has escaped and we need to handle it…" he looked forward again, "Not to mention I fear Samukai's loyalties have shifted…"

The Underworld was the prison of many villains they battled over their lifetime. Cardinsto, Gahrann, Tosho, and many others' exiles ended up in a prison connected to the Underworld. "Right now I suspect that the keeper of the Underworld is the one who let it loose… that is all I am saying…"

"Wait the keeper is supposed to be a good guy right? Since he holds the bad guys?" Wu blinked.

Masuta closed his eyes, "No… we are not friends… we are actually… not quite enemies… he'll hate you Wu, and Garmadon for merely being my sons… and the others for being my students… or daughter-in-law".

Everyone exchanged worried looks silently.

When they reached the shore, they ditched the horses and had to travel across to a small island off the coast. Masuta still never said what they would find on the island, to be honest, he'd much rather it be a surprise like it was for him when Delilah first showed it to him, not long after they first met.

_"__What is the place?" Masuta looked around. "Why did you take me here?" _

_The young woman with curly brown hair smiled, her indigo eyes shining as she wanted to tell him what he would see. "Now now my dear Masuta… I have come here many times before I ever knew you…" she climbed through the thick foliage, a much younger Spinjitsu Master behind her. _

_"__What does that mean?" _

_A roar was heard and he stopped to pull out a weapon and saw Delilah, petting the nose of a dragon. She looked back with a smile. "I never knew they all hid away here after so many years…" Masuta smiled, sheathing the sword. _

_The one she was petting was red and orange with gold eyes. Another that was blue nudged her with his nose and petted him too. "This is my favorite place… I spend days here at a time… but it must be kept secret from hunters who would destroy them because of ignorant fear…"_

_A gold dragon with green markings and eyes landed next to him. He brushed the beast's nose and smiled brighter. "Well… I believe we have not met…"_

_"__His name is Gorudo…" she smiled, walking over. "I thought you would like him…" she looked at his pale gold tunic, "Being… the Spinjitsu Master with your gold and such…" She looked down, "What do you think?" _

_"__I think they are wonderful…" he smiled, looking back at her. "Same as you…"_

_The woman with the long brown hair smiled up at the Spinjitsu Master and stood on her toes as their lips pressed against each other._

"Father?"

Masuta blinked out of the memory when his youngest son spoke. They were almost to the shore.

"Something… wrong?"

He looked back at the others, "This place just has… certain… memories that come with it… that is all Wu…" When they came up on the shore, they all got out. He turned back, "Do not wander far…" he pointed. "I will call you when I am ready…"

Garmadon and Misako planted themselves under the hanging trees on the beach while the others stayed close, but explored the strange island.

"This is pretty place…" Misako looked around, leaning on her husband. She took her boots off and wiggled her toes in the sand. "Why do you think we're here?" she frowned.

He shrugged, lying on the beach shore. "I never know why my father does what he does…" he closed his eyes, ready to fall asleep. She rested her head on his shoulder and twined their fingers together.

"Nami come on! Kasai! We aren't supposed to wander off!" Tanaka and Wu were trailing behind the two younger ninja who were quickly running ahead of the more adventurous pair.

They laughed and looked back, bodies slamming into something large and hard. They looked up and froze. Tanaka and Wu did the same once they caught up and saw what the younger two bumped into.

They all let out a scream that made Misako and Garmadon jump to their feet, following the sound of their paralyzed yells. They froze as well, staring in the up direction; for standing over them, was a huge dragon that was brown and green.

The all slowly started backing away when another from behind nudged at Wu. It was blue.

Surrounding them were several others, one that was red, another white, a purple one, and a pure green one. The six young ninja had no idea what to do and simply stayed back to back against each other, barely breathing as the monsters sniffed them.

Flapping sounded over head and a large shadow was cast over them. They all looked up and breathed in relief when they saw Masuta on the back of a beautiful, gold dragon.

"I thought I told you to stay put until I got you?" he dismounted from the gold beast. They all looked at him questionably.

He smiled and laughed a little, "This island was found by your mother boys…" he looked at his two sons. "She showed me this place when we first met and then, that made me want to train her…" he stroked the nose of the gold dragon, "And… marry her…"

Misako looked at the green one and smiled, raising a hand to it and gently petted it. The other cautiously did the same. Garmadon quickly took to the purple one. "That's Kage… she was your mother's favorite…"

The purple and black colored dragon seemed overly friendly to him and he smiled, happy to know this was a remnant of his long dead mother. "That green one is Itchii, she's an older, wiser one…" he looked down, "I'm sorry to say these look like the last of dragons… many lived here when Delilah showed them to me… I suppose more must have died out over the long years…"

Kasai liked the red one which was called Hono. Namiko liked Rokki, Tanaka Hahen, and Wu made quick friends U-Ispupu. Everyone snickered though when they were told his name.

"Dude… it sounds like poo poo," Kasai covered his mouth, snickering.

Wu rolled his eyes, "Well then why not the name Wisp? That's what it means in English right?" he mumbled. "And you sound like a five year old! We're twenty! You're laughing at bathroom humor?"

"Thirty actually if we're talking to you," Kasai coughed. Wu shot him an angry look, being he hated being reminded of the Sigan incident.

"So why are we here?" Namiko asked curiously, interrupting.

Masuta folded his hands in his long tunic sleeves, "They will help us get into the Underworld of course," he smiled.

**Some more childish dragon fun the next chapter I promise. **

**I made up more... Asian names for the dragons, and the ninja just happen to rename them to what they mean in English. Kage is Shadow or Shade and Gorudo is Gold BTW**

**I really wanted the dragons in this story so... haha I came up with some kind of backstory about why people were afraid of dragons and such... I also found it to be the perfect opportunity since Nya said that her father told her and Kai stories about the dragons, what better way since he's a ninja in this story? **

**Wow long commentary, I apologize, I just get so excited about this story... Another thing I wanted, well just because it techincally is a GarmadonxMisako back story, I wanted it to have more with Kai's parents and how everyone interacted... Technically there are eight main characters to that story, being our six students and Masuta and Delilah, the flashback above was my attempt at incorporating how they met and started falling in love... **

**Ahem enough of that, thanks for reading... **

**~Mar**


	27. Into the Underworld

All but Masuta had not rode dragons before. They were all clinging for dear life to them and the saddles. After a while though, Misako found the courage to actually stand on the back of Itchii, arms spread and ninja tunic billowing in the breeze.

"Be careful!" Garmadon shouted at her, looking agitated.

"CHICKEN!" She pointed at him and started making clucking sounds, flapping her arms like wings.

The other started laughing with her until finally the brave woman's husband got up as well, accepting her dare. He wasn't as balanced as her, because he wobbled around a little. "Psh, it's not that hard!"

"Yea right!" Misako laughed. Everyone was cheering and clapping as each found the nerve to stand up as well.

"THIS IS AWESOME!" Wu shouted, laughing. His shorter blonde hair blew back out of his eyes.

"Stop messing around! All of you!" Masuta glided by them gracefully seated on Gorudo. They all crouched back down; looking rather upset being reprimanded by the old master. Misako bit her lip and looked over to Garmadon, riding Kage, they both started snickering.

Masuta looked back and smiled, standing up, "You all look like silly pigeons, flailing your arms out, do it like this," the other students laughed when their master stood, completely still on his dragon.

Though he was a serious man, he had his moments.

"THINK QUICK!" Misako leapt from Itchii.

The red eyed young man nearly had a heart attack when he saw her jump. She kissed his cheek and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I just came for that… see ya later…" she jumped back, Itchii catching her. Garmadon tried to grab her so she couldn't try it again but failed. "You dare devil!"

The master of course found their behavior to be childish for their age since they were adults. Still, he was happy they were enjoying themselves at the same time since who knew what could happen when they met Samukai for the first time. "Now please no more playing around, and do hold on!" the dragons started angling down.

The young adults looked at one another, all alarmed except for Masuta who, after years, finally smirked because he knew what would happen.

They never hit the mountain and Tanaka was the first to realize that they were flying through the way to the Underworld. "I see now… only dragons can charge up enough speed…" he nodded.

The sudden cold tunnel air felt good against their sweaty faces from the sun beating down on them above ground. It blew their hair, straight back, off their faces until the glowing colored crystal faded to grays and then black, darkness engulfing them.

The seven dragons landed and the riders dismounted, barely able to see two feet in front of them.

They all found each other though and Masuta started walking ahead of them, "Now come… he is expecting us…" he looked ahead.

Garmadon's red eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness and he was the first to follow; Misako stumbling a little behind him but knew where he was because the red glow his irises gave off.

"So… this is the Underworld?" Namiko breathed, squinting to see in the almost pitch black darkness.

"Yes…" Masuta quickly said.

They walked through a pair of gates and they entered what looked to be a throne room where there was more of a light. Garmadon looked around, strangely interested in it.

"Now what is it? _Masuta!?_" an scratchy; angry voice echoed in the chamber and two purple pyres of fire erupted, lighting the chamber up the rest of the way in an eerie colored light.

A strange looking man sat on the throne before them, when their eyes adjusted yet again, they found it was no man. Wu retracted first. "A skeleton?" he whispered. He always heard stories but he never believed that the Underworld was run by skeletons like this.

"And he has four arms…" Tanaka bit his lip, surprised as well. "I never heard of such…"

The corner of Garmadon's mouth pulled up a little in a smirk, "Four arms?" he started chuckling to himself, "Cool…" Misako elbowed him for the comment.

"Well hello to you too Samukai," Masuta folded his hands in his long tunic sleeves and stood upright, authority in his voice, "Now… I know what escaped here rather recently…"

The four armed skeleton rolled his red pupils, "Well now, you show up here unannounced and you accuse me of not doing my job-"

"Because you do not do your job…" Masuta cut him off calmly. "And I must show up unannounced or else you try and keep me out". He hinted a smile.

"Who're the kids…" the Skulkin leader nodded his head towards the six behind him.

Masuta stepped aside, "My students…" he pleasantly introduced them all. "Tanaka Fugiyoka, from Yosho Islands; master of illusion and ice… Kasai Blackman; a stray we took in with his friend Namiko Atin… both non elemental ninja…"

The three stood close to each other, looking up at the Skeleton King. "And then there is my daughter-in-law… Misako Alexander… a historian… master of earth and the leader of the team… another… take in…" he coughed, "and my sons…" he hesitated, looking at the blonde and brunette set of brothers. "My youngest… Wu… master of lightning and light… and… Garmadon… master of the flame and shadow…"

Samukai's eye fixated on the older brother, "My… those eyes…" Garmadon glared back at the skeleton, hand squeezing his wife's, wanting to snap something sarcastic back but Misako kept shooting him warning looks. After a short stare off the skeleton king finally commented, "He looks just like Delilah… except that eye color…"

"I'd shut it now if I were you," Garmadon finally snapped off.

"Has a quick tongue like her too…"

Masuta looked back angrily. "I apologize… he's still… young…"

Samukai held a boney, clawed hand out to silence him. "I like you Garmadon… you seem to have a… certain… interesting quality about you… makes me wonder why you're a ninja…" The brunette held his head up with the same grimace. "And not one of us…"

Garmadon's eye brow twitched up but his father stepped between the two, "Okay that's enough from you," he eyed the skeleton king.

The boney creature slowly stepped down from his throne, bottom clawed hands behind his back, "So… Masuta… what do you think escaped past me? What was so important you came down here?"

Masuta looked the red eyed monster in the eyes, "Yeongi…"

**Ugh, so after I post this I have to re-read Mask of the Sensei because I need... some ideas from it... **

**So the dragon bit was probably fun. Just imagine a bunch of 18-20 year olds riding dragons for the first time. Like I said about the grapple gear in Attack on Titan; I would abuse the shit out of that.**

**Thanks for reading... **

**~Mar**


	28. Reflect

Samuaki sat back and folded both sets of claws together, putting on a fake smile with his jagged teeth. "I have no idea-"

"You fool…" Masuta stepped forward until he was glaring down at the skeleton king. "They will wreak havoc on Ninjago… and you let them escape… after Delilah and I worked hard to imprison them…" he sighed and opened his eyes again, "Where did they go?"

"I don't-"

"He knows but he will never say…" Tanaka interrupted with a deep frown as well.

Samukai looked back at the harsh glare of Masuta and sighed, "Fine, they may have escaped to the secret entrance from the Fire Temple and headed for someplace dark… the Caves of Despair perhaps?"

"Then we must hurry," Namiko covered her mouth. They all looked at Masuta who nodded.

"You six… go and track them down…" he kept his eyes fixed on Samukai, "I will remain here… I trust you to do this job now".

He needed to watch Samukai to make sure he wouldn't do anything else. Not to say he didn't want to go and track the creatures down as well, it would be more interesting then standing around here. He hated to admit it, but he was just getting to old to be running around like his young pupils and they needed to learn to get a handle on things like this without major destruction or near death.

The six quickly started back to grab their dragons and rode back to the land of the living, heading straight for the Caves of Despair which was not too far from the monastery where they resided.

Once the six creatures had landed, they quickly started to devise their plan. "I think some of us should hang back before we all just move in and attack them…" Misako frowned. "I'll definitely go in..." she bit the inside of her cheek.

Garmadon opened his mouth and she held a hand up, "Not you… how many times have you done something stupid and impulsive?"

He folded his arms and frowned, "Name one ti-"

"Cadinsto, Gahrann, Hatsu," they all said together with un-amused faces.

He sat back and grumbled, folding his arms. "Okay, how about me, Tanaka, and Misako?" Wu suggested. "Kasai and Namiko and can hang back with Garmadon…"

"Sounds good to me…" Namiko shrugged and stood up. "Personally I'm sort of afraid…" she blushed out of embarrassment.

They all walked inside the gloomy caves, Misako and Tanaka at the head of the pack. It felt suddenly cold compared the air outside. Wu seemed to cling to Misako who held her gold scythe in her slender hands. She looked at Tanaka, "You can take point on this one if you want…"

The lavender and white clothed ninja nodded, "Hello? Is someone here?" he politely asked.

A figure walked out to meet him and Misako and Wu behind him gaped. "How can that be me over there?" Misako whispered, looking puzzled.

Tanaka held out a hand to Wu who went to move forward, "Hold on now Wu… you should not believe what you see…" he smiled a little, "My what a clever thing… Yeongi… at times independent thinkers… at others; a hive mind of smoke creatures that can morph into whatever shape they desire…"

"How did they get her image? It looks just like her…" Wu tried to look away.

"They take on the image by the memories that surround you… they choose an image of someone or some people you think about most often…"

Misako looked at Wu in surprise and the blonde fiercely blushed bright red in complete embarrassment. "So what's the deal with these guys?" Misako sighed and looked back to Tanaka for more answers.

"First off… they can be very dangerous…" Tanaka started talking quietly. "They lure you in with a figure from your memory… most people don't know about them… but my family dealt with them before… my grandfather… Armin, when he was a kid Masuta saved him and my grandmother… it's one reason I wanted to meet him…"

"How are we going to get it back into the Underworld?" Misako folded her arms, trying to look away as well from her copy.

Tanaka tilted his head, "I suppose… they are sensitive to light…" he slowly nodded. "Some big flashes can weaken them enough to send back…" he looked back, there was an even better means of defeating them, but he ws afraid to say it aloud for their foe to hear.

"What's going on? Namiko keeps freaking out over every little sound-" Garmadon walked in. The figure of Misako shifted and turned into a taller figure in purple with long brown ringlets. He froze where he stood. "What the hell-?"

"It's not her…" Wu swallowed. "It's… what we have to fight…"

"I'm not fighting mom!" Garmadon looked upset that Wu would suggest such a thing.

Misako shoved the two apart, "Okay let's stop…" she huffed and looked back, clicking her teeth together, "Why don't you reveal what you really look like?" she narrowed her eyes.

A voice laughed, "Well then, if the beautiful lady insists," the figure melted into countless smoky creatures with glowing, purple eyes, surrounding the whole edge of the cave.

They backed up against one another, "Uh… any ideas?" Garmdon raised an eyebrow.

"This!" Wu shouted and generated a bolt of lightning. The smoke split, unaffected by the attack. "Oh come on!"

Tanaka's gray eyes shifted back and forth, wanting to tell the others about his small knowledge.

"Eek!" Namiko poked her head in and then left. "Kasai… I hate being a guardian of the country… it's not how I thought it would be…" she covered her face. "I don't think I can do this anymore! How can we stop those things!?"

Kasai sighed and shook his head, "Nami… I don't know… but I think those guys need help… I know you never thought you'd have to face monsters like this, but they need our help".

She sighed as well, "Okay… you're right!"

"Now or never…" Kasai sighed and spun, "Ninja-GO!" he followed. Namiko trailed after him. "What are we doing guys? Any ideas?"

Wu and Garmadon backed up against one another, "On three, use a lightning attack…" Garmadon looked back. His younger brother quickly nodded. "One… two…"

"THREE!" Wu spun his nun chucks rapidly, sparks emitting from the center that held the ends together. Garmadon's golden sword erupted with flames that blasted holes through the smoke creatures. The little monsters hissed in pain and started slinking into the corners more and more.

"Need some help!?" Kasai offered running out. A group of the Yeongi morphed into a woman with long, blonde braided hair and green eyes. "Mommy?" his eyes widened, he held a hand out to her, tears pricking his eyes.

"IGNORE IT!" Wu shouted abruptly, "It's a trap!" he pulled Kasai back by his orange sleeve. He looked back at the woman. _"So that's his mom…"_

Kasai snapped out of his stare and stepped back. "Come on…" he let go of Namiko's hand and they readied to continue the fight.

Tanaka concentrated and looked at Misako. _"They cannot stand their own reflection!"_

She almost looked startled when she heard his voice in her mind but got the message all the same. Tanaka nodded at her and threw the shurakins so that they were embedded in the walls, reflective ice forming around them.

"You missed!" several hissed at him.

"Exactly my point…" he looked back at the others and understood what was happening, several looked at the ice and started shrinking into the ground.

Kasai blinked, "Retreating?"

"They know the weakness!" One smoke creature shouted, pointing at them.

Several changed their forms into three figures; the ninja were more ready though when the Yeongi shape shifted to look like Gahrann, Hatsu, and Cardinsto.

"Past enemies aren't gonna work like that!" Wu laughed. "You're all still just smoke!"

Misako's Spinjitsu tornado kicked up the sand and dirt, scattering in throughout the cave floor. Garmadon obviously got the message and used his fire tornado to heat the sand. After the young man was finished, a thin, reflective layer of glass was under their feet.

"A mirror! Perfect!" Namiko clapped her hands together.

"No no!" they all hissed, echoing throughout the cave when everywhere they turned, their reflection was around them.

And the group of young ninja looked at one another. Tanaka twirled a shurakin around his finger and the hive of monsters seemed to all clumped together; melting into the ground.

Samukai lounged back on his thrown, laughing, "Well Masuta… you put too much faith in those kids… it's been hours since they left us… where are they now?"

Masuta looked back and shook his head, trying to ignore the taunting words of the Skulkin king, trying to have faith in his sons and students.

A distant chorus of shouts echoed in the dank chambers of the fortress, making the two look around curiously. It seemed to get darker as a haze seemed to appear in the throne chamber. "Back to the shadows! Back to the shadows!" the monsters shouted and seeped into the shadows.

Once it settled the two ancient men saw the six were there as well. "Sorry it took so long," Wu grinned.

Masuta smiled, "And you doubt them too much", he looked at Samukai before he steppeded forward, "My you almost had me worried…"

The six collapsed to the floor, out of breath; fighting creatures of smoke that you can't touch was hard work. Their master stood over them, "Come now… how did you send them running?" he smiled a little, a little proud in the fact they managed to send the Yeongi running.

"Because we're too damn stubborn to fail in front of that dirt bag skeleton…" Garmadon choked out, grabbing Misako's hand and laughed. Samukai scowled at the brunette and got to his feet.

"Well that and you of course know master that they hate their own reflection," Tanaka cut in. "My grandfather told me that story..."

Masuta nodded and turned to Samukai, "And I expect there will be no more slip ups such as this?" his hands folded in his long, pale gold sleeves. The king did not respond, "I would hate to make the trip back here and… appoint a new leader… you might just end up a pile of ashes if you don't watch yourself…"

"Just take the brats and leave!" Samukai shouted.

"Very well old foe," the blonde bowed and started walking out, "Come now students…"

They all let out a groan and got up. They all filed out of the chamber and Misako looked at her husband, chuckling along with the others. Garmadon noticed her unusually happy smile and raised an eyebrow, "What?"

She stopped walking with him and kissed his cheek, "I'm pregnant again".

His tired look changed to a genuine smile too.

"Come on," Tanaka shouted. They got up as well and followed the Spinjitsu Master back to the land of the living.

Samukai had watched them walk out, but had fixed his eyes on Garmadon with a strange smirk, "Well… that boy is most interesting… surviving a bite from the legendary Great Devourer…"

"Sir?" a skeleton looked to him.

"Let's keep an eye on them… especially that one…" he folded both sets of claws together and sat back down, "Masuta is a self righteous fool… let's punish him…"

"How?" another asked.

Samukai heard Garmadon slam his doors shut, "We can always start with his sons… or better yet… his precious city…"

**I just gotta say... everything after this chapter... is hella dark even for me... I gotta reread it but... it's like "Wow the tune of this story really changed and how did I not realize it?"**

**Thanks for reading...**

**~Marissa**


	29. The Split

Masuta stood in front of the six students. So much had change in the past four months he didn't know where to begin.

For one, Misako was out of the game and was five months pregnant. He never saw his oldest son so happy though, even after he married her. He looked down at Kasai and Namiko who were now nineteen and twenty.

"So… I have heard that you have been thinking of leaving us…"

Namiko slowly nodded, "I loved being a ninja sir… I still do… but I can't stay here forever…" she sighed. "If you'll allow me… I'd like to continue being a part of team… but I need to stay with my papa more often… he needs me from what I can read in his letters".

"Namiko you may do whatever you wish… this place is your home as well my dear," he looked at the others. "It was an honor to train you dear Namiko… you deserve to be a full-fledged ninja… all of you do," he looked at the others and stood upright. "From this day forth, you will be the new protectors of Ninjago, it is official".

They all bowed gratefully.

Kasai bit the inside of his cheek and looked up. Masuta was already looking down at him. "What about you Kasai?" He saw the young man obviously had a request for him.

"Can you introduce me to Hiroshi sir? I want to learn how to be a blacksmith…" he swallowed and meekly asked.

The blonde master nodded, "It may take years though before you can join us again in fighting… Hiroshi likes dedicated students and you would have to stay there with him until he deems you worthy to be called a master of the art".

"I'll do it," the black haired teen smiled. "I'll do whatever it takes sir".

Wu looked down. Kasai was the only real friend he ever had. He could still remember him running into him when they were kids and stealing candy with him and then meeting Namiko. Now they were leaving him too. At least Tanaka would stay… for now anyways.

* * *

Later that evening, Kasai packed his bags, Namiko looking just as upset as Wu. "I can't believe you're really leaving…" she looked down, tears pricking her eyes. "Wu and I will miss you… you don't even know when you'll be back…" The brunette wiped her nose and looked away.

"Guess I'll just have to be a fast learner if I'm gonna come home quicker," he grinned. She didn't smile back and he sighed, hugging her, "I really will miss you most though Nami…" He buried his face in her soft curls.

"Well you know where to find me… would… would it be okay I visited every once and a while?" she sniffed. "It wouldn't be often since you'd be so far away… but… you will write and call… and…"

"I don't see why that would be a problem… I hear Hiroshi is nice guy…" the black haired young man hugged her tightly. "And of course…"

"I love you…"

"I love you too…" he kissed her cheek, "And… when I come back…" he blushed, "Will you marry me?"

Her brown eyes widened in shock. Her throat went dry and quickly nodded her head, crying more, "Yes…" she whispered. "Yes yes yes yes," she squeezed him tighter and grabbed his face, planting her lips on his.

"Thank you for saying yes…" he closed his eyes when she pulled his face back to her.

* * *

Misako sat on the deck, leaning against Garmadon. "Think he proposed yet?" she looked up.

"Without a doubt… being Namiko's squealing…" he looked down at his wife then her swollen belly and smiled.

Kasai walked down the steps, past the couple, "I'll see you guys around I guess," he looked back.

Misako got to her feet and hugged the younger ninja, "Yes. Good luck now okay? We're all behind you Kasai". She smiled and kissed his cheek.

The black haired young man nodded and readjusted his hold on his bag. "I hope I'll be back sooner than I think," he waved to the others.

"Hey Blackman!" Garmadon shouted. The brown one looked back, eyebrow raised, "Let me know when you become a blacksmith… I'll be in need of a new sword for practice!" Kasai laughed and nodded and without another word, he left through the gates.

Finally, thing seemed to be going right for all of them.

* * *

Kasai stood on the doorstep of the blacksmith's house in the small town, rather remote village. He was tired from the day's trip but had made it nonetheless.

He knocked on the wood door several times, patiently waiting for someone to answer. It seemed like forever as his hands fidgeted, cracking his knuckles or picking at his nails.

At last, an older man with charcoal hair and a scruffy beard answered the door. "Yes?" he looked down.

"I'm Kasai Blackman from Ninjago City…" he brandished his sword, "Master Masuta gave this to me during my training under him as a ninja… I… was hoping…" he kneeled, "Would you train me to be a blacksmith? I always dreamed of becoming one sir…"

Hiroshi looked at the young man's brown eyes and then smiled, "I would be honored if a student of Masuta trained under me… come in young man," he opened the door all of the way and Kasai stood back up with a grateful and relieved smile.

* * *

Namiko wiped the counter of the bar, she was happy to be home, but it felt strange not being at the monastery, waking up to nothing but the birds instead of cars and alarms. She understood why Misako always viewed it as her home. After just one night, it's hard to go back from the peaceful and mysterious home of the Spinjitsu Master.

"Nami!" she turned and had a bigger smile on her face. Garmadon and Wu took seats at the bar stools of the empty tavern, "How have you been? Kasai's been gone for a whole week already…"

She stacked a couple of steins on the back ledge and looked back, "Well… I'm getting along with papa just fine… I'm happy he got accepted by Hiroshi… he promised to write to me everyday… especially now that… we're engaged," she giggled.

"Well congrats Nami," Wu smiled brightly. He rather expected it from those two. It was always funny watching them bicker back and forth when they were just friends.

She turned and looked at Garmadon, "How's Mimi?"

Garmadon leaned on the bar counter and shrugged, "We couldn't be happier… she's almost six months now…" he scratched behind his ear and smiled a little, "And… it's a girl…"

"Congratulations…" she turned and grabbed a couple of mugs, going to the tap and filling them. She slid them across the counter, "Have one on the house boys". She winked. "Hey, where's Tanaka?" she wondered aloud.

"He came into town with us, I think he went to meet his uncle who's in town or something," Wu answered, looking at the orange-brown drink. His brother had had alcohol before but the younger brother was all new to it. He side glanced as his older brother drank without a problem.

The brunette bar maid laughed at Wu's reaction, "Never drank before eh?" her and Garmadon lightly laughed together. "I'll get ya some milk instead," she went to take the mug but Wu pulled it back. She held her hands up, "Okay then…"

Wu sipped it but wrinkled his nose. He tried swallowing but took around three tries and coughed. Garmadon messed with his brother's hair, ruffling it. "Too strong little brother?"

Namiko took the mug and placed a glass of milk down instead, trying to contain her giggles as Wu tried to get the taste out of his mouth. "Any tea instead?"

* * *

"I'm back…" Garmadon shut the door and locked it. He found his wife laying down, slowly waking up from her nap. He kissed her cheek and she opened her eyes. "How's our little girl?"

"Starting to squirm more and more…" she turned on her back and guided his hand to the next place the baby kicked. "But she's just happy you're home…" she let out a breath. "Where were you anyways?"

"Visiting Namiko with Wu," he sat down, "She's a little… down about Kasai being gone still…"

"Who wouldn't be?" she tried to sit up but gave up. "I just hope he'll do well with Hiroshi…" She brushed the hair from her eyes.

For the first time in a while, they felt on top and invincible.

**Yay, another chapter...**

**Thanks for reading :3**

**~Mar**


	30. Skulkin take Ninjago City

Misako leaned on her husband as they walked; arms around her large stomach. They were out with Wu, Tanaka, and Namiko in hopes of cheering her up from the gloomy mood that she tried to hide from them.

"I'm telling you guys, I'm fine, I just visited Kasai last week for two days!" she shook her head. "I know this is important to him, so I'll just have to wait!" Namiko folded her arms and frowned. "Thought up any names for your daughter?" she tried to change the subject from how she was doing.

"We were thinking Delilah for Garmadon's mother," Misako looked at Garmadon. "Right love?" she kissed his cheek.

"Whatever you say…" he kissed her back.

She rolled her eyes, "Well, we only have about a month before she gets here, a name would be nice to have one in mind…"

They walked around the next block when a random explosion hit half a block away, but it was big. It felt almost in slow motion when they were all thrown back a little ways when the blast but then it all went fast.

Garmadon's ears were ringing and the world looked blurry as he tried to register what exactly happened. He turned his head to the right and saw Misako a few feet off from him. She writhed on the pavement, wrapping her hands around her stomach.

His crimson eyes widened and he rolled back up, kneeling next to her. He caught sight of his brother and the two other ninja. "What the hell was that!?" he could barely hear himself.

Wu slowly got up himself and looked up, head spinning He covered his mouth when he saw who set off the explosions. "Samukai?" he blinked, rubbing one blue eye.

"Misako…" Garmadon touched her face, forgetting Wu.

She clenched her teeth together and tried not to cry or scream, "The baby…" she gasped.

He looked around quickly, "Namiko!" he shouted the younger woman's name. "Namiko!" he screamed louder.

The brown eyed woman tried to shake out of her own daze and caught sight of the older ninja who was looking in her direction. She wasn't as far away as she first thought and managed to make her way over, plopping on her knees as her head started clear once again.

Her hands glowed gold and she held them above Misako's body. "I can't do anything really… Ninjago Hospital is two blocks away," she looked up. "I'll stay here with Wu and Tanaka and we'll see you over there…" she hugged Garmadon before running off to grab the other two boys.

Two blocks seemed like nothing when you're trying to save a life or maybe even two. Garmadon didn't have to say two words; plenty of people who were also injured by the first attack of Samukai were in there. Most were waiting but of course, since Misako was pregnant they took her in ahead of others.

"Watch it!" Tanaka created an ice barrier when he slid in front of Namiko who was looking away from her attacker.

She slung another throwing star, "Thanks," she swallowed.

"I got the rest of the people off the streets," Wu ran over, face red from exhaustion. He doubled over, gasping for air; it had been too long since they needed to do that much running.

Tanaka pressed his lips together under his hood and looked back, "You two find Garmadon and Misako… I can handle the rest on my own for now," he smiled, looking back at the younger two.

"No way!" Namiko stomped. "They have each other! If we leave then you'll have no one to cover you-!"

"Great idea," Wu panted and grabbed Namiko's forearm and dragged her along down the block to the hospital. She eventually gave up because like Garmadon, once Wu set his mind to something, he would not be stopped.

"It hurts…" Misako swallowed, tears leaking down her cheeks. "What's going to happen Garmadon?…" she squeezed her eyes shut, more tears bubbling out.

"I don't know…" he quietly admitted, kissing her forehead.

She whimpered, "I'm scared…"

He nodded and rested his head against hers, "I know… I know… I am too… I'm terrified…"

"Out of our way!" Garmadon looked back when he heard the shouting in the hallway. "She's our family!"

"Only her husband can be in there!" A nurse shouted back, sounding frazzled by the rush of everything going on. The red eyed ninja sighed. It was Wu and Namiko demanding to be let in. He was almost grateful they weren't allowed in because he couldn't handle their questions and worrying, he had his own to think about.

The blonde and brunette sat on the floor next to the door; legs sprawled out and let out a heavy sigh. Wu looked over to Namiko, "So… why couldn't you heal her? You can heal anything or anybody…"

Namiko picked at her nails, "Because she went into premature labor and I can't "heal" that…"

"Prema-?"

"The baby is coming early do to the impact she took when the explosion was set off…" she looked back at the locked door, "And it's dangerous depending how early it is… three weeks is pushing it… let alone a little over a month…"

The blood drained from Wu's face, "Does that mean… the baby's…"

"No," she shook her head, "It doesn't necessarily mean that the baby will die… its rather rare… there could also be the chance Misako couldn't make it through… but she's strong so I have no doubts she'll be fine, and if the baby will be anything like either her or Garmadon…" Namiko rested her head back and closed her eyes. "I hope this is one of those cases… for their sake…" she referred to the couple.

Garmadon decided to close his eyes the whole time, too afraid to look at her pain stricken face as she whimpered and strained, trying not to scream. He kissed her hand and squeezed back when she squeezed. "You'll be fine…" he lowered his head, helpless.

"It's more the baby I'm concerned about," Misako gasped, feeling another contraction. She groaned loudly. "I'm gonna push!" she shouted which gained the attention of the nurse.

_"__This is it…" _he thought.

All track of time was lost to the dark haired young man, all he knew was that his wife stopped and all he heard was her heavy breathing. He opened his eyes, alarmed that there was no other sound with it.

Misako weakly opened her emerald eyes, coming to realization too.

_"__We lost her? We lost both of our children"_

**Oh how lovely! I left you all with cliffhanger? **

**And no it wasn't twins at all it's in reference to the first one in the case you were wondering... just to say, this has 0 to do with any previously made Garmadon children, but there will be scenarios of this that will happen in my coming fic "Tournament of Elements" probably later this month. **

**So what do you you think will happen HMMM? **

**Thanks for reading dearies~**

**~Mar**


	31. Hope

Tanaka whirled around the corner to the alley and jumped up between the two brick buildings, trying to get a good over view of what he would be up against. He finally pulled himself over and took a breather on the roof. "Damn… these Skulkin are everywhere…"

The lavender clothed ninja removed his hood and looked down, crouching low. The skeleton warriors were making a scramble as higher ups shouted at them for losing sight of him. He smiled a little and pulled off a couple of smoke bombs from his belt.

His gray eyes twinkled a little when he through them down, how he loved opportunities to use stealth skill such as this fine occasion. Smoke collected in a huge cloud and the ice ninja jumped down. "What's that?!" a squeaky voiced skeleton screamed.

Tanaka realized they were looking at his shadow the sun was casting on the thick smoke. He grinned and used it to his advantage. With his shurakins he whipped up plumes of frosty air and attacked them through his smoke cloud. "Had enough!?" he laughed.

"Run! It's a phantom!"

"Nuckal! Wait for us!" a couple of pairs of skeletal feet slapped the pavement.

Tanaka's eyes widened, "Phantom huh?" he smirked. "Phantom Ninja… I like the sound of that title…" he moved back into the alley to go on with his newest scheme to scare the skeletons off. "Skulkin seem to not be very bright…even Samukai seemed rather dim…"

* * *

"She's breathing… but; she'll need to be cared for here until she's old and strong enough…" the nurse looked at the small incubator where they had to place the baby girl in. She smiled, "You can hold her for a few minutes if you want…"

"She's alive…" Misako could barely talk from exhaustion and shock. "Our baby's alive this time…"

"I know…" he continued to hold her hand gently.

She looked over to where the premature baby slept, quiet whimpers could be heard every once and a while, "I wanna hold her…" she wiped her eyes and sniffled. She carefully picked the delicate baby girl up and held her gently. "Ten fingers…" she quietly counted, "Ten toes…"

Garmadon couldn't stop looking at the premature infant with a goofy smile on his pale face. He gently held a hand to the infant's head.

She leaned her head against his arm, "Are we still going to name her Delilah?"

"I don't know…" he looked down.

Misako tried to look out the window of the hospital room and saw smoke rising in the sky. She managed to smile a little, looking back at her daughter, "I like Hope…"

"Hope? How… fitting-"

The doors abruptly opened and Wu and Namiko ran in, "What's up!? What happened?!" The sudden shouting made the baby whimper, sounding like she was about to cry and the two younger ones looked at the bundle, almost in disbelief.

"She's alive…" Misako gestured with her head at the premature infant in her arm. "We're… we're naming her Hope…"

Wu looked over her shoulder and smiled too, "I like that name… Hope…" Hope opened her mouth and gave somewhat of a silent yawn. Misako bit her lip and decided she should go back down. Wu quickly took her for her mother and laid her down again.

Namiko wiped her blurry eyes but then straightened up, "Oh Spinjitsu gods… Tanaka!" she just remembered. "He could be in trouble!" The girl's brown eyes looked back to the smoke plumes a few buildings over.

Misako shooed them off, saying she would be fine, "Garmadon," she eyed him. "We will be fine… please… if you want to help me… save the city".

He sealed their lips together one last time and rushed out of the room behind his brother and Namiko, dashing past a frenzy of nurses and doctors and everybody in between.

The green eyed woman inhaled and leaned back on her pillows and looked at her daughter.

* * *

"Nice of you to show up!" Tanaka panted as he ran, the others tailing him. "So?"

"We named her Hope!" Garmadon grinned, wiping the sweat from the back of his neck. "So what's new with you?"

Tanaka smiled, "Oh not much… the skeletons think I'm a phantom and ran crying like babies!" he laughed. He tossed them several smoke bombs, "Here, use these; they hated it when I tried it!"

Wu grinned looking at his, "Sweet!" he looked around.

"Okay let's split and start taking their strongholds down…" Garmadon ordered.

Namiko frowned, "Who left you in charge!?" she snapped.

"Because Misako's my wife! Now let's split!"

The small group went separate ways when they came to an intersection. It was amazing how fast the Skulkin army invaded and set up bases. Knowing Samukai, he wouldn't pull back so easily being four teenagers were the ones sent to stop him. Garmadon was fixed on getting to the Skulkin general first, planning to make him pay for almost losing his daughter.

* * *

Masuta looked from the mountain at Ninjago City and shook his head, "Oh Samukai…" he sighed. "I should have known you'd be so bold as to do this to me…" He slowly started walking down the steps to the city.

The sun was setting in the sky and most of the city was damaged and people were hiding, terrified at the sudden and ruthless attack from the Skulkin. Four ninja was all there were roaming the city, trying to take down groups at a time on their own while the much older master quietly made his way to the city.

Namiko was out of breath and rested in a crouching position, "How can we stop them!? How?!" she quickly breathed, feeling light headed. Her head snapped up when she heard a shout. "Papa…"

Her feet padded the pavement as she ran around the block. Her brown eyes widened at the scene before her;

Several skeletons were in pieces but she trembled at the sight of the man in the middle of the mess, cane still in his grip.

"DADDY!" she screamed louder than she first thought, voice carrying along the streets. The remaining skeletons looked up and a fire sparked in her gentle eyes. "Ninjag-GO!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, her ruby tornado knocking them all down before her.

The few remaining skeletons ran away in fear of the young woman. She dropped to her knees and held her ear to his chest, trying to listen if his heart was still beating.

"You're beautiful my strong Namiko…"

She gasped when she heard his gruff voice. "Dad…" she wiped her nose and leaking eyes. "Come on… I can save you…" she fumbled to pull her gloves off, shaky fingers not doing as she commanded, "I can save him…" she barely said. "Just like Kasai…" Her hands felt numb.

"I'm proud at the woman you turned into… thank you for letting be a part of your childhood instead of staying with your mother…"

_One glove was off, it would have to do._

"Keep being brave…"

_Hand to his chest._

"Because Ninjago and your friends need you… more than I'll ever need you…"

_Hand glowed gold but it could not put breath back in his lungs._

Her pupils shrank as she shook, single streams of tears dripping down her filthy cheeks. "NO!" she screamed louder than anyone ever heard. It carried for as long as she held breath in her. Once it finally ran out, she fell to the pavement, trembling. "NO!" she repeated and pounded the pavement like a child throwing a temper tantrum.

"THIS ISN'T FAIR!" she shook her head violently. "DAD!"

Frightened people looked up at the orange sky and quickly bowed their heads. Masuta walked through the main road when she sounded for a solid minute. He already knew what had happened and lowered his head, "Namiko… you poor child…"

The two brothers and friend stopped in their tracks and looked at one another. Without saying a word to each other, they ran back the way they came, towards Namiko's home.

They found her crumpled up in a ball, sobbing uncontrollably, screaming and pounding her fists into the sidewalk outside the tavern. "Nami!" Wu was the first to wrap his arms around her. She leaned into him and squeezed him back.

Tanaka and Garmadon looked down before dropping to their knees themselves and hugged her with Wu. "Oh Nami…" Tanaka whispered, "We're sorry…" She hiccupped and continued crying. "We… we're so sorry…"

"I'll take care of her…" Wu volunteered quietly, "You two are the strongest… you need to work on ending this as soon as possible… it's already getting dark out…" The others nodded and ran back up the street they came.

"I couldn't save him… I was too slow Wu…" Namiko sobbed into his tunic. "I'm a failure…"

"No… no you did all you could…" Wu stroked her dark brown hair as he slowly walked down the street. "This does not make you weak or a failure… you just weren't fast enough… you were scared and trembling and you couldn't think straight…"

"It's still my fault…" Namiko hiccupped. "Because I wasn't steady and brave enough…"

* * *

Misako leaned against the wall as she watched Hope sleep soundly. "You are born in such a time…" she quietly started talking. "The city is under attack Hope… and your daddy and uncle are fighting for us both…"

Hope weakly opened her eyes. They were a pretty sea green color. "You may be premature… but you're so beautiful and strong for surviving this ordeal…" she tucked hair behind her ear and sat back down. "Mommy and daddy love you so much…"

Night had fallen on the land when Masuta stood before a small army that barricaded itself on the main strip of the city. "Be ready to fire at any moment! He's a tricky one!" Krazi shouted at the others who held their crossbows at the man in pale gold.

"My you are pretty brazen for coming here and attacking us like this…" the Spinjitsu master chuckled. "I wonder why Samukai would go through all of this trouble…" His blue eyes flashed, "Only you're Skulkin murdered someone special and close to my Namiko… and no one hurts my children and gets away with it".

In a swift motion, his gold Spinjitsu activated, deflecting the arrows that sailed at him. As it neared the small barricade, the Skulkin lost their nerve. "RETREAT!" Krazi finally shouted as they ran back to Samukai like the pathetic lot they were.

* * *

Wu managed to carry Namiko back to the hospital the whole way where she sat with a now silent, traumatized look on her pale face. He led her by the hand into Misako's room where he explained what happened for the silent girl.

Misako hugged Namiko and sat her down. "Oh Nami…"

"I want to end this…" Namiko finally breathed. She pulled out a kunai and turned the blade to her heart.

Wu was about to leave when he heard her say that and turned. Misako too looked back, green eyes widening. "NAMIKO NO!" they screamed.

**Haha you guys thought the baby was dead lol... **

**However... maybe I'll kill Namiko? Anyone can really die at any moment, ya know? **

**Wow two chapters on a row with a death cliff hanger! Can't remember if I ever did that before. Thanks for reading, whenever I see new comments I feel happy because this and Kill Garmadon get hardly any attention :3 **

**Also, expect more short stories of the Garmadon family like "Simple things" **

**~Mar**


	32. Live

Garmadon and Tanaka plowed through skeletons, weapons swinging and skeleton heads flying. They driven by the shear anger over Namiko and Hope.

"SAMUKAI!" Garmadon shouted at the top of his lungs when the four armed general was in his sight.

Samukai stood to his clawed feet and snapped his fingers. Kruncha and Nuckal rolled out a pair of cannons and started loading them. The fire and ice ninja skidded to a halt.

"Take cover!" Tanaka shouted and dove to the side.

Namiko barely scraped the surface of her tunic when Misako's stronger hand caught her wrist. Wu was grabbing her shoulders tightly, afraid to let go. The younger female tried to pull it towards herself but the ninja of earth was far too powerful, even after giving birth to a child.

"Namiko… stop… your father would want you to live on… he knows you can save other people… he loved you and you must keep living for his memory…" Misako's hands started slipping from the sweat on her palms. "I… I know what you're feeling but you can't commit suicide!"

"Who do I have now though?" she had a blank look in her eyes as she continued to pull against Misako's hold. Wu shut his eyes and shook his head, he would not lose her.

"Namiko!" she shouted angrily. "How about you start thinking about us who care for you! Kasai is gonna marry you when he comes home!"

The smaller brunette looked up with no emotion in her face. "K-k… Kasai…" she weakly said.

"Yea…" Wu quietly said. "You two are inseparable…" he felt the need to remind her. "He would be devastated if he came home to your funeral… you would make all of us sad…"

"That's right…" Misako quickly nodded. "We all love you … you're still a member of our family…" she tried to pry the kunai from the traumatized woman's stiff fingers. "I know… I know what it's like to lose people… my own parents when I was nineteen… my first baby…" she sniffed. "And almost my Hope… but we'll help you Nami…"

Namiko's fingers, one by one, slipped from her kunai and Misako took it from her, and sighed in relief. Immediately though the younger woman squeezed Misako tightly sobbing again.

"It'll be okay…" she hugged her friend tightly. "We are ninja… we're strong…"

"We can't change the past… trust me… I wish I could ever time I look at my brother…" Wu sighed.

Garmadon was in the line of fire, dodging left and right with swift determination. Tanaka was amazed by the will to keep going in the red eyed ninja. Even he was losing stamina, but not Garmadon; he was fueled by pure anger. He got closer and closer till Kruncha and Nuckal gave up and fled.

The brunette pounced like an animal, tackling Samukai to the ground, "YOU!" he shook him. "First you nearly kill my baby girl!" he growled. "And then your Skulkin murder my friend's father!" he seethed. "You bastard!" his eyes pulsated with red. "I'm gonna kill you before you hurt anybody else I care about!"

"GARMADON!" The pale ninja turned to see his father standing amongst the rubble. "That is enough son-"

"He tried to murder my daughter and Misako could have died too in the process!" he snapped back. "My Hope! My Misako!"

"ENOUGH!" Masuta gripped his oldest son's shoulder and shoved him aside. "How dare you do this… I gave you a warning Samukai…" The monster looked up angrily with his beady red eyes. "I will keep you in check like I always should have… I gave you a leash and I see you abuse it… and if I catch you back out here like this… I should have the right mind to extinguish you… though I couldn't do that… I could still keep you bound to the Underworld for as long as I could live Samukai…"

Garmadon angrily watched Samukai get up. When the hulking skeleton walked past the ninja clothed in purple, he was stopped, "I will make you pay for my daughter you scumbag…"

"Keep saying that boy…" Samukai casually said back. "One day that nasty temper of yours will not do you well… I'll be there when it does… and you fall…"

Masuta looked at Garmadon and Tanaka, "Now… what is this about a baby girl?"

Namiko sat in a corner as Misako happily showed Masuta their daughter, still asleep. "My… she is still a wonderful baby…" Garmadon held his wife tightly in his arms and nodded. "Hope… what a wonderful name too…" Masuta gently touched his granddaughter's soft cheek.

Misako smiled, "Thanks…" tears formed in her eyes when the baby gently grasped her index finger. "I can't wait to take her home…"

"… we survived this day… as did many of the city…" Masuta cleared his throat, "I know we did lose some though…" he carefully looked at Namiko. "But we lived on this day… we lived to try and prevent this from happening again… and I am proud of all of you…"

"Those stupid ninja!" Samukai was using his underlings as target practice, throwing various weapons and projectiles. Nuckal handed him the axe next. "They will bow before me!" Kruncha readied to hand him a cutlass next.

"How are you going to do that sir?" Bonezai shook at the sight of the huge axe in his general's claws as he leaned against the wall.

Samukai launched it, barely missing his underling's shoulder, "I wanted the Spinjitsu brothers dead!" he growled. "But I want to personally hurt Garmadon… not kill him… per say…" he looked at Wyplash who was sitting against the walls. "Wyplash… I have something important for you to do…"

"How about I help you… Skulkin King? It seems we both have need to make certain ninja pay for crimes against us…"

"How did you get in?" Samukai looked over at the dark clad man.

He smiled under his mask, "Because I want to make the ninja pay…" his swirling blue eyes looked up. "They spoiled my fun just as they did with you today…"

**Hmmmm... ****_who could it be this mysterious man?_**

**Are you guys ready for the most angsty, emotional, and shouty chapters yet to come to this story? I hope you are! This is where it takes that odd emotional turn for me... this turn almost came to "Simple Things" but I luckily found a way to change it before I posted it... **

**Thanks for reading my updates :) **

**~Mar**


	33. Taken

All had settled down and life was restored to normal as much as normal could get. Not many died during Samukai's pathetic attempt at causing some short lived chaos, but several died nonetheless. It was almost two months though since everything happened.

To top off everything, Misako was surprised how much her husband was taking care of their baby girl. The two were inseparable since the moment he held her. It was also a surprise how he cooed at her and was like a whole new person than before.

She decided that it was a good thing in the end, him being a father. Though he always denied it, he was completely in love with the tiny baby just so he would maintain the ridiculous game of masculinity with his brother and Kasai. Misako of all people knew that underneath that stupid shell of his, he was just mush, and she constantly poked at him for it.

"She looks like you…" Garmadon kissed the top of his daughter's head several times gently. She made a little noise when he did so. "I might as well buy a shotgun now that I have _two_ beautiful girls…"

Misako held the baby's little hand, "Nah…" she waved off, "I have my own scythe, you don't have to protect me," she laughed and went to kiss his cheek. He turned his before she could and sealed their lips, curling up in the blankets more. They seemed to spend every waking moment they could with the infant.

When they let go Misako frowned, "Hey uh… you and Tanaka and Wu have been visiting Nami yea?" he nodded. "Well… is she a little better? I know it's hard… I at least had you and Kasai is still away…"

"Yea…" he sat up more, "She's… not doing so well…" he glanced up, "I still can't believe you told me she tried to kill herself… I… was upset when… mom died… but I didn't try and kill myself…"

"Her father was the only family she had or even loved… you know her mother obviously didn't care enough to call her after all these years… she told called last week and even said she left her mother a message about him… she never showed up to support her at the funeral.." she took his hand.

He sighed, "Well then… guess she was one shitty mother…" he frowned. "In a way… it sort of reminds me of my dad…"

"Stop that!" Misako elbowed him. "Don't go saying that because he tried his best with you and Wu… you forgot that he's lived for thousands of years and… well you and Wu are his first and only children…"

"Exactly, he's old and thinks he's so self righteous being the creator and thinks he needs to be involved in everyone's business!"

Misako rolled her eyes and hugged him and he stopped talking, "Come on… she's falling asleep… do you really want to wake her up?" she saw Hope's sea green eyes dropping. The two set her down on their bed and gave her a kiss.

Tanaka locked the tavern's door and sighed. Namiko had been living at the monastery again being she needed to get over her father's death. He offered to get some of her things for her and lock the place up.

As he walked on he heard strange chattering going the other way. He jerked his head to look around on the lonely street and frowned. Looking down at the duffle bag he carried, he went the other way, not knowing what it was that was giving him a sick feeling in his stomach.

He followed the presence and found himself down the block of his friends' house, "Oh no…" he said before something knocked him down. He twisted around narrowed his gray eyes, "Sigan the Time Ninja…"

"Tanaka Fugiyoka the Ice ninja…" Sigan smiled eerily. "Never thought you'd be in the neighborhood…"

"Why are you here?" the younger ninja dropped the bag and stood, battle ready.

Sigan rolled his eyes, "Well now… I promised to hit you all where it hurt… course I never said when… strange thing the newest member of the family is Hope… because I'm about to take it all from them…"

"Garmadon wouldn't let you near his daughter…" Tanaka slowly circled with his foe. "He'd kill you before setting foot in his home… heck, he'd kill you for thinking of such a thing." From behind Tanaka three Skulkin restrained him. "You're working together?!" His narrow eyes widened in complete shock.

"Knock him out…" Sigan turned and started walking down to his target house. The skulkin complied and hit the butt of his sword at the nape of Tanaka's neck.

Misako looked away from her husband and perked up a little; looking alert, "Something… is wrong…" she got to her feet and stood for a minute.

Her husband nodded, "I sense it too… but…" He looked around the living room.

They heard glass break and they looked at one another in horror, "HOPE!" They raced upstairs and grabbed their golden weapons, ready for whoever it was who came for them.

"I wouldn't be so quick to attack…"

Misako looked down and shut her eyes, "I know that-"

"Voice? You should… though it's been an awfully long time… we didn't get to see each other when I aged your dear Wu…"

"Sigan…" Garmadon seethed and his sword ignited without another word.

The time ninja laughed and looked at the infant in his arms, "She's a little young for a full term baby…" he observed, smiling a little. "You two must love her so much…" he mockingly cooed at the whimpering infant.

"Give her back!" Garmadon yelled.

Sigan shook his head and tutted, "Well now… I can't make that call… you see… I was sent to aid in Samukai's men to help kidnap her… she's our ransom to rule Ninjago since your father is so compassionate… especially about his own granddaughter I'm sure".

"I will kill you where you stand!"

Misako was quiet the whole time, green eyes fixed on her fidgeting daughter, trying to think of anything she could do to get Sigan to release her. For once in her life she felt helpless, seeing her baby's hand stretch out, as if begging to be in the arms of her mother.

"Well now, how can you when I can so easily drop her?" Sigan taunted. "It sickens me to see parents who love their children so much…" he looked disgusted. "They're whining brats who do nothing but waste your time and energy".

"You sick bastard…" Garmadon's red eyes were pulsating. "You don't know what it's like because you're psychotic maniac… I lost my son… you won't take my daughter too!"

"Then try and take her from me if you're that desperate…" Sigan nonchalantly said, "You really are quite boring son of Masuta… always cursing and shouting and making idiotic threats… _real scary,_" He scoffed. "Don't you get tired of the same old dialogue? You demand something, us villains say no or try me, and then you curse and throw a tantrum…"

Hearing the smooth voice of the time ninja made his blood boil more than he ever felt, body burning with a want to kill the twisted soul before him. Garmadon couldn't rely on his frozen wife and he swung his sword, only to be wrenched out of his hand and it fell to the floor. He decided he didn't need it because he went right for the throat, ready to choke Sigan.

Misako stared in shock at her husband. She prayed that Sigan would at least hold on to her baby if he was to give her to Samukai. Her new motherly instinct kicked in and she tried to grab her husband. "Garmadon stop it! You can hurt her!"

"Wise words miss," he dodged Garmadon next punch. He mildly laughed, "You know… I really just said I would help Samukai… I didn't really have intentions of handing her over… I just wanted him to have his skeletons guard my mission to make sure no one came after me trying to warn you two…" his hand glowed blue. "… Did you know that I could put victims into eternal sleep?"

The parents ceased struggling against one another, blood draining from their faces. "Gods no… I'm begging you…" Misako pleaded. "We'll do anything… I'll do anything…"

Sigan laughed again, "It's such a shame my only goal is to make you suffer…" his glowing hand touched the baby between the eyes.

"Hope…" Garmadon lifted his hand. The baby in the evil ninja's arm slowly drooped her sea green eyes. "You…" he clenched his teeth together angrily, throat drying.

"Cat got your tongue?" Sigan laughed. "Come on… what other curse you wanna yell at me!?"

The time ninja kept laughing and though he could foresee an opponent's next move, he never dodged the fist that hit his jaw, creating a cracking noise.

He opened his eyes and saw Misako's knuckles retracting, "You better frikkin reverse what you did or I'll single handedly break every bone in your damn body," she said darkly. Both men around her looked surprised. The green eyed woman glared up at the taller foe, "You give my daughter back…"

Though his jaw hurt, Sigan managed to talk, one hand where his jaw bone was cracked, "It is irreversible".

She socked him in the nose next, "Is all your magic useless?"

A laugh came from the back of his throat, "I'm am the Time Ninja… once a moment is gone, it cannot be gained back unless I take it from someone else".

"Garmadon! Misako! I chased the Skulkin away but there's someon-" they turned around. Tanaka, covered in claw marks and bleeding in some places, leaned on the doorframe. He looked at both of them and then their baby. "Oh no…"

"Give me one good reason I should let you live…" Misako grabbed him by the folds of his black and cyan tunic. "Give me one good reason you son of a bitch!" she screamed at him.

Tanaka never thought he'd see the day sweet Misako would snap into a screaming rampage instead of Garmadon. It was bizarre seeing so much anger in her face. If all she did was give him two punches and screwed his face up that badly, he wondered how much loss was built up inside of her.

Sigan's blue eyes ceased glowing and his head went slack. Garmadon grabbed his daughter before that and looked at her. "Hope…"

**Fun fact: My brother called me evil after I explained this part in the plot but I wrote it anyways. **

**I mean... I COULD OF easily had the whole thing reversible or have her merely kidnapped and later returned and have her stick around and eventually die a kid... but I can't do that in this story muhaha... **

**How this chapter turned around so bloody fast... for a minute I did feel like sparing my baby oc... oh well... just thought I'd just start accepting that bad things will transpire as far as Garmadon and Misako being together... it's inevitable but it must be done sadly...**

**Thanks for reading, I hope you'll stick around and see what happens next :)**

**~Mar**


	34. Say Goodbye

Tanaka took Sigan's unconscious body from Misako's tight grasp after a few times of trying to pry her fingers from the enemy's clothing. He ended up having to tear some of the fabric for her hands would not relent.

"Hope… wake up…" Garmadon touched his forehead to his baby's head. "Please… open your beautiful eyes for daddy…"

Misako dropped to her knees and leaned against his side, feeling numb. "Hope…" she lifted her hand to touch her baby's chest. Her heart was still beating and she was breathing.

Tanaka hung his head, "She'll die in a few hours… maybe even less… infants can't go that long without eating…"

"Call Namiko…" Misako choked. "She can help her… she has to…" she started breaking down in tears now that the rage subsided in her.

The lavender ninja let out a quiet sigh and shook his head, "Namiko doesn't have magic like that Misako… you both know that-"

"Go away…" Garmadon plainly said. He didn't sound upset or even mad. There was no emotion in the plain request.

"I did not mean-" Tanaka reached a hand out.

"Just go away…"

Tanaka understood he was not wanted right now and stood, carrying Sigan's body with him to report to Masuta, Wu, and Namiko about what had happened. "I am so sorry…" he whispered.

* * *

"He did WHAT?!" Samukai erupted, angrier than ever.

Wyplash and his pair of underlings shrank back at their master's rage. "We never thought he would betray us and kill the kid!"

Samukai sat back down and covered his face, "We'll have to beg and plead our way out of Masuta's wrath this time!" he said, looking almost scared now that the rage was subsiding. He held a boney hand to his face. "I'm going to kill that bloody Sigan when I find him! This ruins everything!"

* * *

"Just once… just once in my life… I thought I could be happy…" Misako looked up when she hear Garmadon say it. She hugged him tighter. "Guess I was wrong… I'll never be… how much longer until you leave me too?"

"I won't…" she shakily said. "Come on… we'll… we'll get through this…" tears leaked from her green eyes again. Of course they wouldn't be fine though. Everyone would know that.

* * *

Tanaka laid Sigan's body down on the deck of the dojo. Namiko, Wu, and Masuta stood around it. Masuta looked at Namiko and she sighed.

Got on her knees to heal his broken jaw.

Tanaka looked down, "Don't heal him…" he had a bitter look on his pale features.

They all looked at him, "Why? Why shouldn't she?" Wu frowned. "We'll need him to talk about what he's doing here!"

"It sounds petty… but Misako would just break his jaw again… and I would help her…" Tanaka folded his arms and felt like kicking Sigan awake.

"Misako did this to him?" They all gaped at the news. "But… why?"

Tanaka closed his gray eyes and shook his head, "He murdered the baby…" Namiko covered her mouth, tears starting already in her brown eyes. "I wish I could stop him… but he had several Skulkin with him and they held me captive… I got out too late…"

Masuta's bamboo woven hat covered his eyes, "Then… he should pay for his crimes… don't touch him Namiko…" he grabbed her shoulder. "We're going down the mountain…" he looked to his younger son, "Bind him up so he will not escape when he wakes".

"Yes father," Wu quickly ran inside.

When they reached their home, the Misako was on Garmadon's lap, squeezing him tightly until her knuckles were white. They heard her whimpering from downstairs. "I should have murdered him where he stood!" they heard her holding back a sob. "I'm sorry Garmadon…"

"I… I know… he was too… too fast though… we couldn't keep up even if we tried…"

They both jerked up when they heard the stairs creak under the feet of the others. "Oh gods…" Wu's blue eyes widened. "Hope… it's true…" he lowered his head, not bearing to look.

* * *

"Two months… she was two months old," Misako's voice sounded lifeless as she stared at the tombstone next to the one that bared Delilah's name. She gripped her husband's hand to the point he thought it would break. "She's was our baby... and now she's gone…"

Garmadon was silent the whole time, just like when he was nine at his mother's death. When they had reached the monastery that night, the elusive Sigan was gone again and that was three days ago. He hadn't spoken to anyone, even his own wife in that time frame.

Masuta watched the couple for a distance. Namiko, Wu, and Tanaka were either behind or beside the old master, watching too. "Master…" Namiko quietly started, "Why does… bad thing like this happen?"

"I wish I could say Nami…" he sighed and put an arm around the short young woman and the other around his younger son. "We cannot change what was destined… even I couldn't have foreseen this…"

Namiko looked down and hugged herself. "I'll be right back…" Masuta released her and walked up the steps into the monastery, grabbing the first piece of paper she could find and started writing down a letter to Kasai. "He needs to come home…" she told herself.

* * *

Kasai opened the letter from Namiko excitedly, "That from your fiancé Kasai?" Hiroshi laughed seeing his eager expression.

"Yes sir," Kasai opened the piece of paper and quickly started reading it; face falling with every line Namiko had written;

_My Kasai…_

_I want you home… my father was murdered by the skeletons when they attacked the city… but my pain is not as worse as our friends'… Misako gave birth a month early during the attack, her name was Hope, we were so happy the baby was alive and would do well… I was so upset that I was not able to answer your last letter as quickly as I had hoped… and I'm sorry but… I almost killed myself that was how terrible my grief was…_

_Sigan returned and attacked Garmadon and Misako… he murdered baby Hope and escaped, Misako did managed to break his jaw and nose though… no doubt that will take some time to heal… I hope you are allowed to come home soon… things have changed so quickly it makes me sick to my stomach…_

_I love you Kasai; and I hope you and Master Hiroshi are doing well. _

_Namiko Atin_

Kasai dropped the piece of paper and covered his face, starting to feel stressed. He had hoped for happy news and it semi started as it. He felt sick to his stomach now.

Hiroshi looked down and picked it up, "I am sorry about your friends…" he grabbed his shoulder. "If you would like, you may go back for a visit… be with them they will appreciate it I think…"

"Thank you sir!" Kasai got up quickly to pack his things.

**Okay you can all pelt me with rocks like the depressing trash I am... **

**I needed to do this though for reasons of later on chapters... especially the aftermath chapters like "Taking Revenge" and even up till chapter 40 "Spirit Smoke"... yea I have a lot planned out... too bad I'm stuck :/**

**Thanks for reading even though you're all probably mad I killed an innocent and most precious baby...**

**~Mar**


	35. Taking Revenge

Kasai smiled a little on the steps of the monastery but it quickly faded as soon as he walked in and saw the gloom that had taken over the home he once knew.

The first person to greet him was Namiko who immediately sucked him into an unrelenting kiss, making him drop his bag to wrap his arms around her, untangling her unkempt hair. "Nami…" he smiled a little again, stroking the back of her head. "I missed you like you have no idea…"

"Come on…" she took him by the hand and led him in, eager to have the others see he was her, maybe it could help lighten things now that they all were here.

Kasai was surprised to see Garmadon and Misako curled up on the couch inside. "When did they start staying over?"

"Since the baby died…" his fiancé looked down and tried to stifle her tears. "We've all just…" she trailed off. "I want things to be normal… I miss the fun we had… when we felt like we were invincible…"

"As my wife would say… we are not… even I am vulnerable…" Masuta walked out. "Come… let us talk somewhere else… they are sleeping…" he nodded over to his oldest son. "Better to leave them in the peace they have now…"

The two nodded and walked outside again to find Wu sitting the cherry tree with Tanaka at the base, cross-legged.

"The cherries are sour this season…" Wu spit out a pit. "Just like everything else…"

Tanaka let a breath escape his lips, "So it seems…"

"Do not focus on just the bad my son…" Masuta looked up at the blonde who was moping around and throwing several of the sour fruit and pits over the wall and down the side of mountain.

Wu jumped down from his perch, "Don't you care about Hope? Or Mr. Atin? They're both dead… at the hands of enemies we should have destroyed when we had the chance!"

Masuta looked down and folded his hands in his sleeves, "Are you saying revenge would have been the correct path Wu?" He wouldn't be surprised if any of them said yes.

"I'm saying it was the better one… now Garmadon and Misako are lying around like… like…" he was starting to get angry. He loved the little baby girl that belonged to them, the world seemed brighter and even him and his brother got along better. It hurt him just as much to see the dead infant. "They don't have the fire that made them great anymore… they're hollow… they'd rather die…"

"We lost a lot… I understand that…" the Spinjitsu master sighed and shook his head, "But the past is the past…" he looked at all of them, "We cannot change what we did with what we might have or should have done… now… there is only the future… so let us work to make it better and fix what decisions we made".

The four glanced at one another and slowly nodded in silent agreement. They bowed forward, but what Masuta did not see, was their crossed fingers behind their backs.

Not long after, Garmadon and Misako slowly came out of the monastery, numb to the presence of Kasai who returned home for a short while. "Are you gonna be okay?" Tanaka looked up.

"No…" Misako sat down next to him, pulling her knees to her chest. There was a picture in her hand. It was Hope when they took her home. "I miss my baby girl…" she sniffed. "I miss that toothless smile… and those beautiful eyes…"

"Let's get revenge then…"

Everyone looked at Wu when he said it. It was rather unlike him being he always listened to what his father told them to do with little to no questions about an order. He looked up with a dark look in his eyes. "No one screws with my family…"

"Looks like my goody two shoes brother is getting a taste of the other side… how it feels to have what you loved dragged away from you" Garmadon scoffed and looked back, "You sure you're not afraid of the old man?" He raised an eyebrow.

Wu shook his head, "No… I'm not…"

For the first time in years, the two brothers finally saw eye to eye and put aside the childish spats over the girl they both loved or the stupid everyday things that brothers would fight over. Garmadon stood up, looking down at the shorter brother and gave a hint of a smile.

"How would we even find Sigan? It could take years for all we know…" Namiko folded her arms, brown eyes quickly shifting around, making sure Masuta would not hear them going behind his back.

Kasai shook his head, "And I only have a week… then I have to return to master Hiroshi…" he scratched the back of his ear.

Tanaka stood up, "Give me some time and I could find him… he said so himself that he was acting on his own… Samukai never meant to kill her…"

Misako stood up next, "I have a good hunch where that bastard might be hiding…" her bottom lip quivered.

It was almost dark when the six left the monastery together without a word to Masuta who was inside the locked library. Hopefully he wouldn't come out till after they came back. Garmadon was the last to be out of the monastery though. "You coming?" Misako frowned.

"Oh… yea…" Garmadon nodded and when she left the room, he folded a piece of paper over and left it on the table, "Goodbye father…" he muttered to himself.

The six, with weapons in hand followed Tanaka who was the only other person who knew where their target's location was exactly. It was the dead of night when Tanaka stopped everyone, "We're here…"

They poked out from behind the leafy bushes and saw a figure pacing back and forth around a roaring fire. "That damn woman!" he shouted, hold a hand to his jaw which still hurt, "I should have killed her too! I should have killed all of them!"

"Sigan…" Garmadon growled. Misako pulled him back abruptly.

"Heel boy…" she frowned, still looking at the Time Ninja angrily. "I want to end him too… but we need to surround him without him knowing… remember… he can see around… what?" she looked back at Wu and Kasai, "About five to ten seconds ahead of what's going to happen?"

"Five at best…" Wu nodded.

"Split in three groups… Kasai and Wu and Tanaka and Namiko…" she snapped her fingers. "Tanaka and Namiko will go out first… then Kasai and Wu… and then us…"

The four nodded and broke away from the couple to carry out their part of the plan.

Masuta walked out to the courtyard and found no trace of his sons or students. He frowned and checked every room in the monastery and found nothing. That when he found a note written on the table.

He took it off and opened it.

Father…

_I don't care about what you taught us. _

_You taught us to stand against evil; and if a psycho time maniac murdering my baby girl isn't evil, than I sure as hell gonna forget everything you ever taught because you didn't want us going after Sigan._

_We don't know where he is, but we'll track him and down and kill him for everything he's done to us._

_You must be surprised I am telling you any of this because I know you're going to find us and try to stop us. I just wanted to let you know you are no longer my father and I will never be your son by this act of defiance I am making against you. I will never come back and I'm pretty sure our team won't take orders from a selfish man like you._

_This is goodbye forever you lying jerk!_

_-Garmadon _

"I did lie to you many times…" Masuta shook his head. "But I know where you went you foolish boy…"

Sigan stopped his pacing and looked up, "Wait a minut-"

"HI-YA!" A cloud of smoke clouded the vision of the ninja of time.

"You sly bastards… I should have known you'd track me down!" Sigan shut his eyes and laughed a little still holding to his swollen jaw. "That's why I called for some help…"

"Help?" Misako's green eyes widened. "What does he mean by that?" she remained hidden in her position.

A woman with a mask on kicked her and her husband forward, out of their hiding place, "Miss me bitch?" she laughed.

"I remember that voice…" Garmadon growled. "Hatsu…"

**Hatsu's back :D I might do a thing where she'll be Sigan's girl or something... IDK yet... would you believe this story is over 50,000 words and 115 pages in mircrosoft!? And I still have more. This has to be my longest story yet...**

**Thanks for reading :D **

**~Mar**


	36. Rage

"Hei Titanshi if ya don't mind," Hatsu smirked.

"Introduce me why don't you?" another voice said.

Hatus rolled her eyes and took off the mask, "Fine then…" she smirked and the mask floated, "Say hello to an ancient cult object, Mask of Malice… has a soul and mind… he amplifies my dark magic!"

"Thank you dear… you may put me back on now"

Hatsu reached out and placed him back on her face. "Now move it!" she prodded them both.

Wu and Kasai were being dragged by a woman with slimy blue skin and webbing between her fingers and toes. "Meet Kappa, I met her while in that fancy prison; we escaped together when Sigan broke us out… or well, we seduced the guards while Sigan grabbed the keys…" she rolled her fuchsia eyes.

They both noticed the two youngest boys with love struck looks on their faces, "She's a siren…" Tanaka coughed on his own tear gas with Namiko as it cleared.

"Now… you came to get revenge on me… but now you'll have to take all three of us on," Sigan laughed.

"Four! I think you mean four!" Everyone looked at the mask Hatsu wore and Sigan loudly sighed in annoyance.

"Four! All FOUR of us!" he narrowed his eyes, glaring at the mask. "Say your prayers ninja… because you will die tonight… and we will take the Golden Weapons for ourselves and rule the land!"

Wu started coming out of his love struck daze and shook his head. "Wait… if one of you is a mask… how can he hold a weapon?" He blinked, looking confused.

"Shut up! Shut up you stupid brat!" the mask snapped off angrily.

Hatsu removed him quickly, "You're being too loud!" she growled and threw him.

All six ninjas' wrists were bounded and they were lined up, sitting on their knees, "There are four of them and six of us! We can take them down!" Kasai started shouted, struggling to move.

Sigan planted his heavy boot on the black haired teen's face; sending him backwards, head slamming into the dirt. "Shut up!" he yelled even louder. "You still act like the little brats I knew… and if you recall, I would have killed you if it wasn't for your girlfriend!"

"You should not talk to my students in such a manner…"

The six looked up surprised, "Father?" Wu whispered, going pale.

Masuta looked at his two sons but looked longer at Garmadon, "I got your note…" The brunette brother grimaced. He then looked back at the enemies at hand. "Now I see you have taken my student's weapons… give them back now please…" He politely smiled.

"Yea right… without these, you're nothing!" Hatsu clutched the scythe in her spindly fingers.

The blonde master shook his head quietly, "That's not something I like to hear young lady," he tutted. "It seems that I should send you all back to the prison where you belong," he smiled. "I will admit, it shall be tricky being you possess the four weapons that contain the same power I own… but it is not impossible to defeat you".

Sigan snapped his fingers and the water siren twirled a gold shurakin around her finger and launched it. The master caught it and shook his head, "You see… you have not been trained in the use of these weapons as they have…" he nodded over to the tied up row of ninja. "You are all novices and that is how I will defeat you".

Hatsu took a step back, black, scaly wings sprouting from her back as she launched herself forward with the scythe blade. With precision, the one in gold clasped the sickle blade between both hands and flung her around, slamming against a tree.

He looked back at Sigan as he stalked over next, "You defeated the ladies… but how about me old man?" the psychotic ninja laughed and held the sword of fire in his hand. "I'm always a step ahead…"

"But I am the creator of Ninjago." The six young adults stared as their master took down each enemy with little to no effort. He gracefully dodged the time ninja's attacks. "And I see you continue to nurse the wound my daughter-in-law gave you…"

The comment made Sigan even angrier, "I should have murdered the little bitch when I had the chance!" he roared.

It was just the amount of unbalance needed to catch him by the arm and flung him around to join the other girls in a one flopped over pile, "You all are very bad people… escaped prison like this… I should make sure you never get out again!" He looked back at the others still tied up.

Masuta picked up the golden sword and tossed it to them so they could start cutting the thick twine that was binding their hands. "And I shall deal with you six later…"

They all exchanged glances worriedly, for he would not simply let this one slide.

* * *

All six young men and women were standing in a line, looking down at their feet, taking the beaten they all knew they would get. The only ones who didn't look ashamed was Garmadon and Misako.

"You all obviously have no idea how angry I am…" the old man started. "For one; you disobeyed my orders and went on a vendetta to murder your attacker… to seek revenge!" he was very serious.

They all lowered their heads more, taking the verbal beat down. Garmadon's eyes were glowing brighter than they ever had. His head was only one now held high, in a sense, proud to disobey. Curses and insults were begging to escape his mouth but he kept it shut, the strain to do so could be seen all of over his red face.

"Revenge is not the way of the ninja! I thought I instilled that in all of you!"

Wu watery eyes finally gave and he looked up, "Father; Sigan murdered an innocent child! He had no reason other than you stopping him that night from taking the Golden Weapons which led to Kasai almost killing him and that led to Hope's death!"

Garmadon looked at his brother to his left. Wu was the first to speak out against and defend their actions of disobedience? _"Wu… what the hell are you doing?"_

Masuta looked at the son that looked most like him, "He is a dangerous psychopath... I understand… but how you went about it tonight was stupid and foolhardy!"

"He murdered my baby!" Garmadon finally seethed next, that was the last straw. "Your own granddaughter… how can you not care about her? How can you remain so passive to point of not caring? If we don't teach these people to stay in their place, then what protector of Ninjago are you!?" he shouted.

Misako winced and closed her eyes at his yells that echoed in the monastery. She didn't have the fire in her to shout back at their teacher like what her husband was doing. "I should tell everyone how useless you are!"

"I saved your lives tonight-"

"You saved us because the Golden Weapons were in danger… you wouldn't have come after me or anyone else otherwise!"

Masuta pointed a finger, "Don't you dare say that!"

"You foresaw Hope dying didn't you?" Masuta was silent at the question, "DIDN'T YOU!?"

Kasai and Wu held the older one back, he would tear apart his father if he got the chance to, "You did; you came so slowly to come and help! You useless bastard," he started quieting down a little. "You could have helped her couldn't you of? Even if Namiko couldn't of helped, you could of!"

"You cannot change what is destined… And that note you left me Garmadon?" he started scolding him. "You never had any respect for me as your father or teacher… why should I return it? Do unto others as they would have unto you…" he quoted the old proverb.

Garmadon clenched his teeth together, "Because… you lied to me about mom… you lied about what I am… and you're just covering all of this up and blaming me!"

"Stop victimizing yourself! It is pathetic and childish!"

"I am the victim!" Garmadon snapped back. "I'm like this because of you; you self righteous fool!"

Masuta rolled his eyes, "And how is you getting bit by a snake my fault? That is what you get for sticking your hands where they don't belong you impudent child…"

Garmadon growled with frustration. "Who the hell even let's their kids play with ancient swords? And then you make us scared to lose them?" All Misako did was squeeze his shoulder at this point, it was going too far.

"That. Is. Enough." Masuta harshly said. He quickly grew tired of the same old conversation with him. "Because of your actions tonight… I confiscate your Golden Weapons!" Masuta put his foot down.

Misako, Wu, and Tanaka looked up as well in shock. The weapons that were given to them were placed on the rack where they had never touched for several years, "It was a mistake I see letting you have that power… you all are far too young to possess such a responsibility!"

His blue eyes flicked back, "If you do not wish me to be your master… then fine… I see how it is… you all acted according to what you want… and if you want to disobey me, then you will no longer have further training and instruction from me…"

"Father…" Wu reached out hand and trailed off.

Masuta eyed the blonde, "And what is it my son?"

Wu looked down and sighed, "Don't… don't be mad with Garmadon… It was my idea to go after Sigan, don't blame it on everyone… don't be mad… I coaxed them into coming…" he wiped his eyes. "Hope wasn't even my daughter and I was so upset… and… I only fed into Garmadon's anger… it's my fault he's upset… as for the remark about the swords… well it was my fault he got bit… I was too scared as a kid to get the sword myself…"

Garmadon looked over, eyes widened at Wu taking the blame and attention away from him… for him "Just… don't be mad at everyone because of tonight… okay? Garmadon doesn't know any better…"

_"__Did you have to add that last part you stupid runt?" _Garmadon puffed to himself.

"I shall take that into consideration Wu… thank you for telling me…" Masuta walked out.

"I picked on you my entire life…" Garmadon quietly said, "And you always sat there at my side with Misako… I said I hated you… blamed you for stuff I did… I did even blame you for the snake bite when we were kids… and you took the blame for something stupid we all jumped into equally? You took all the anger at me and redirected it… Why?"

Wu pulled on the bottom of his shirt and nodded, "You say you hate me… and it… hurts when you do… but you don't know any better brother…"

Tanaka smiled a little and Kasai and Namiko quietly watched on.

"But I make the decision to say it… how can I not know any better?" his red eyes looked down at his much shorter brother. "You just sit there and take it all…"

Wu shrugged and put his hands in his pockets. "I hate fighting with you… so… I guess if I try and let you get out what needs to be let out…" he looked up. "So… you can yell at me more if you want…"

Garmadon looked down, the corner of his mouth tugged up a little, "You little shit…" Wu looked up, knowing it wasn't an insult. "You took the blame because father wouldn't get angry at you directly… pretty sly of you… and I never thought you'd take the blame for something you stupid goody toe shoes…"

Wu couldn't help but let a little smile slip onto his face. That part was half true. "uh… can I hug you?" he meekly asked. The older brother rolled his eyes and sighed, limply holding his arms out which prompted Wu to hug him.

"So… what are we going to do now?" Namiko squeaked, tugging on her long, hanging hair.

Misako let out a breath, "Well… Garmadon and I do what we've always done…"

"I'll… I'll start up the tavern again…" Namiko sniffed and smiled a little, "I think life needs to come back to that old place…"

Kasai nodded, "I reckon… I'll finish my training with Hiroshi… maybe start up a blacksmith shop of my own…" he bopped Namiko on the nose lovingly, "Then maybe marry you…" they hugged.

Wu shrugged, "I'll stay here with Tanaka then…" he looked over at the oldest boy of the group.

He shook his head though and they looked surprised, "I am leaving this place too…" he looked around, "I have learned so much here… and I really must thank you all…" he smiled. "I will be going solo maybe for a while…" he looked down, "I heard from my grandfather that… my parents were somewhere in the labyrinth… I want to go and see if they could still be alive".

"Well good luck with that," Misako hugged him with Namiko. "We wish you well Tana…"

"I'll miss you all… but I'll see you all soon, I promise that…"

**Look at this doozy of chapter! It killed me ;-; **

**I found the Mask of Malice amusing in Stone Cold... maybe you'll see him again :3 I figured "Why would there be a mask that could talk?" So I made him a cult artifact for Hatsu...**

**Thanks for reading :) **

**~Mar**


	37. Slowly Healing

Misako pushed her husband away, curling up more on her side of the bed. "Come on… this isn't like you…" he sighed and wrapped his arms around her tightly.

"Garmadon stop…" she finally said with a heavy sigh, "I don't want to tonight…" she turned her face into her pillow, curling her body up more.

"You didn't want to last night either… or the night before…" he kissed the back of her head. "I don't mind some personal space but… it feels like you don't want me around at all anymore…" he looked hurt.

She sighed and shook her head, "I want you around… gods of Spinjitsu I love you more than you'll ever know…" she twisted her body so just her legs sideways and torso was on her back and ruffled his darker hair, hands touching his face gently, "I just… I can't…"

He frowned, "You can't what?"

She looked up with bloodshot eyes; "get pregnant again…" she wiped her eyes with her long sleeves. "I don't think I could go through that again for nothing…"

He slowly nodded, "Okay but…" he held her shaking hands. "I… know no one can replace her… but… please? I waited so long with her… and she was just… ripped away…"

She sniffed and wiped the tear from his left eye. "I know… but I can't take that again…" she shook her head and repeated, "if we have so many enemies… I don't want to have a child be at constant risk of dying or getting kidnapped… or…" she started crying again.

"Oh Misako…" Garmadon didn't want to see her cry again, but she couldn't help it. They wrapped their arms around each other, giving into quiet tears. "Shh… it's okay… I'm completely fine with it… don't worry…" he consoled her. He shut his glowing red eyes and stroked the back of her head. "It's okay…"

Kasai let out a breath and went through the couple of letters from his friends. "Well… at least we're all healing…" he muttered to himself and shook his head, folding up the one from Namiko and pulled out a pen, ready to respond to the three separate letters.

"Ah Kasai, just who I wanted to see," Hiroshi smiled.

The black haired young man looked up and smiled a little, "What is it master?" he blinked, unsure as to why he was looking for him this early in the morning.

"Well, it's been more than another three months since you came back from your visit… and you've been here for about six… I'm… considering… with the work you've been doing here…" he chuckled, "People are saying I'm crazy for doing this but I think you're ready to stand alone…"

"You mean…"

"Yes Kasai, you are a prodigy in the art of blacksmiths and I think you have nothing left to learn from me, you picked it all up so quick!" he smiled warmly. "Why don't… you test your skills by making a ring for that girl you like?"

Kasai blushed and looked down and slowly nodded. "Thank you master…" he smiled back.

Namiko slid another few beers down the counter with a cheery smile on her face. Over the past few months she got the tavern up and running again all on her own. Well; with some help from Wu of course.

"Hey Nami!" she turned her head at the young man.

"What is it Jack?" she leaned on the counter, "Don't tell me you finished that ale already!" she laughed playfully. One thing she enjoyed about being in charge of the bar was because she made the rules and could deny them a drink and was able to tease them all she wanted.

"Nah, I'm still working on," he shook his head with chuckle. "Just wanted to know what a pretty little thing like you is running a bar and is still single?" he winked.

The brunette laughed again and stood up with a hand on her hip, she always loved flirting and playing around with her regulars like Jack. "Guess I'm just waiting for the right guy… Right Tana?" she looked at the black haired young man on the last stool.

"Well, I guess you could say that," his gray eyes winked at her. Of course she was committed to someone, being, Kasai. He found enjoyment in seeing the young woman being filled with life again.

"Yes you could say that!"

Her heart skipped a beat and she saw Kasai come and take a seat next to Jack. "That's my lady you're talkin to there Jack," he lightly punched him in the shoulder. "That is… if she'll still have me…" he brandished a silver ring with a decent size garnet encrusted in it.

Namiko covered her mouth, "You actually got a ring!?"

Kasai laughed, "I did more than that… I made it… just for you,"

"Aww," a couple of girls in a table behind the two said in unison.

The brunette behind the bar looked down and laughed, "Round of drinks on the house!"

Everyone inside cheered. Kasai leaned over the bar counter to kiss his bride to be, slipping the silver and garnet ring on her left ring finger. "Does that mean you're done?" she hopefully asked.

"I of course plan on visiting Hiroshi," Kasai smiled, though he viewed Masuta as a father figure, being he grew up without his dad, Hiroshi was a more nurturing kind of figure he grown to like over the past seven months. "but… yes… I'm free to stand on my own… as of right now of course…" he pecked her lips again.

Wu moped around the monastery which was all he ever did since the team had split up. Tanaka visited more than the others, but it was still lonely for him. Everyone once in a while he dropped by his brother's home, Misako happy to see him and Garmadon was just indifferent about his presence. It was still better than fighting with each other.

He would often stare at the weapons that were taken from them, sitting idly on the wall, gathering dust. He ached for his nun chucks of lightning, wanting to feel the electricity through him again. But what his father said was law to him and he never dared to touch them.

The hardest part about staying at home was the graves. Twice a day he sat in between the headstones of his mother and niece, feeling sadder just because there was nothing he could do.

"At least… everyone found something to do with their lives…" Wu stared at the picture of the group of six; they all were sitting on the deck of the monastery, happy and smiles untainted with loss and grief on their faces. His brother was around fifteen so they all were still rather young, just before Misako confessed she loved him. "Everyone except me…" he frowned.

"Something troubles you?"

Wu looked up as his father took a seat opposite of him. "Y-yea…" he quietly said.

Masuta nodded. "Wu… why don't you think you have a life? Why do you compare yourselves to the others?"

The blonde young man looked down and slid the picture over. "Garmadon and Misako got married and work and… have a life… Kasai became a blacksmith… Namiko runs the bar and they're getting married now… Tanaka is happy on his own wanderings and has a family to go back to… I just… I have nothing…"

"You are my son and…" he smiled a little, "I suppose that… when the time comes, you will take my place…"

Wu's blue eyes widened, he was speechless, "But… dad… I… I couldn't… Garmadon is the better fighter… he knows more than I do-"

"About fighting," Masuta hushed his youngest son. "Your future I can see… you will be stronger and maybe even wiser than I would be… your brother… well… I can't foresee what will become of him in the future…" he held Wu's hand. "Just… be wary of your older brother… I do not know what could become of him when I am dead and gone…"

"Don't say that!" Wu shouted. "You lived for thousands of years! You'll outlive us too".

"I don't know about that one Wu…" He scratched the back of his head. "At this rate… I don't know how much longer I actually have…" He looked him in the eye, "And no father should have to bury their child… your brother can understand that much…"

Wu slowly nodded.

Days turned into weeks and Kasai and Namiko got married and shortly after Tanaka left once again. It was eight months in total that had gone by since the six were at their lowest point, but things started to look brighter once more.

Misako came out, smiling as Garmadon waited for her to get off of work, "You seem rather cheery…" he commented, "What happened?"

"They put me at head of the department," she squealed. "Not only that but there are new interns I have to be in charge of! Ha!" She jumped into his arms excitedly.

He smiled, "Well after what? Four years of being side kick secretary I'd imagine you'd get bumped up sooner or later," he kissed her cheek. He started the car up, "Tanaka's back in town… we're all meeting up at the tavern I think".

She nodded, "Yea… that sounds nice," she leaned back in her seat. "I wonder what went on… he's been gone for three months…"

Namiko waved over from the bar when they parked and came in. She had a worried look though when they drew closer, "Uh… Tanaka didn't have such a good time…" she looked to a table in the far corner of the room. The couple exchanged worried looks and walked over with Namiko. Wu and Kasai were already sitting on the other side of the small table.

"Hey Tana…" Misako smiled a little, "What… did you find?"

The other young men looked up at the three newcomers. Tanaka looked rather upset. His skin was paler than normal and there were dark blue and black rings under his eyes adding to the feeling that he may have had too much to drink and not enough sleep. "I uh… had a run in with Cardinsto again…" he scratched behind his ear.

The exchanged looks, how could they forget the nature wizard who tried to kill them when they were young teenagers camping in the forest as survival lesson?

"And… my parents were apparently explorers… they got lost in the labyrinth and he killed them…"

_Tanaka prepared to cut his way through the thick foliage when the vines came to life and restrained him. "Well hello there… what do I have here?" A gruff voice said and Cardinsto came out. His dark green and brown robes made him blend in with the jungle vegetation. _

_The younger man's light gray eyes widened, "I'm surprised you don't remember me… I was one of the six students you attacked years back…" he smiled. "Tanaka Fugiyoka". He reintroduced himself. _

_"__Oh yes I remember you now," the wizard nodded. "Why are you here?"_

_"__I was told the last place my parents went to explore was here… they never came back…" he briefly explained. "Do you know where they would be?"_

_"__Hmm," Cardinsto turned and tried to recall the two people. People came in went, some people he let go and others weren't so lucky. "Oh yes… a man and a woman came by many years back… What were their names… oh yes the man was Yang and the woman, I assumed his wife, was… Dottie I think"._

_"__That's them!" Tanaka grinned, "Where can I find them are they still here or did they move on?" he asked eagerly._

_Cardinsto folded his arms and sighed, "I may not like you but I suppose you ought to know the truth boy, I killed them for trespassing". Tanaka's smile faded quickly. "I kept up signs and everything saying that mortals were not welcomed but you parents just had to meddle… they were explorers and botanists… I'd tell you I'm sorry but I really don't care!" He released his vines from the lavender and gray clothes man. "Get lost before I'll have you meet the same fate!" _

_Tanaka's body started shaking, different emotions he had never felt before were running wild in his head as he turned and ran all the way back to Yosho and basically collapsed on the hard wood floor of his grandparents' home. "Grandfather!" his voice cracked. The young man's lungs were burning with a white hot sensation and his throat was dry as he tried to clear his head. _

_"__What is it?" Armin asked. "What happened? You look terrible! What did you find?!" he started asking questions. "No wait, hold on, let me get your grandmother and uncle!" he ran into the other room, "Ayana! Mason! Get in here! Tanaka is home!" _

_Both came in quickly and Tanaka wiped his eyes, "They're dead… I ran into a wizard once during my training with Masuta. During a survival lesson, we were attack by a wizard named Cardinsto… I met him again while I was exploring and… and he said he killed them for trespassing…"_

_His grandmother gasped, covering her mouth. Mason wrapped an arm around her. "I lost two of my sons!" she looked just as upset as Tanaka did. The ninja's body ached as he walked forward to hug his grandmother. _

He ball one hand up and slammed his fist on the table; glasses clattering from the sudden motion. "So like the lot of you… I don't have parents either…" he bitterly said.

Misako sat right next to him, "Hey… we're all a family…" she smiled, "That was what was instilled in me since I was little… and I think you need to start believing it to… and it might have always been… we're all running from something and Masuta took everyone in and gave us a place to call home"

The older man sighed and placed his stein down and nodded, "I guess you're right…" he wiped his eyes, "I never really knew them either… like you…"

"Believe me I know how it feels finding out… especially when they dumped you wherever to find your own way… but I think your parents truly cared… they wanted to come back to you I'm sure…" she placed a hand on his shoulder. "Mine never cared if they came back or not..."

Tanaka slowly nodded at her words. "This is my home… you are all correct…" he set his drink down. "I think this will be my last drink…" he laughed a little and slid it over to Namiko, "I think seven is enough… you should have stopped me after three…"

The brunette bar maid took it and smiled with a quiet nod, "Yes… yes I think that's a few too many…" she looked down, "I knew you were upset though… and you don't get as drunk as Kasai or Garmadon…"

"Hey!" Both said in unison.

"Enough about me…" Tanaka looked weakly at Misako. "Are… you thinking about another child? What's gone on since the last time I was here?"

She looked down and folded her arms on the table, lowering her head. "No…" she mumbled, "No we are not thinking about trying for a third time…" she wiped the tear bubbles in her eyes.

"Third times a charm right?" Wu meekly asked, half laughing. He was just trying to lighten the sudden serious mood. Garmadon shook his head, making eye contact with his younger brother, prompting him to shut his far too talkative mouth.

Misako sniffed and rested her forehead on her left hand. "Ya know… with all the crap we've put up with over all these long years… I'm happy to know we're all still alive at least…" she let a small smile slip.

"Damn straight," Kasai slammed his fist on the table and grinned, "Ain't nothing's gonna split us up!" he laughed.

**Nice long chapters for your enjoyment. I hate in between stuff like this but I it gets good with the next few chapters with the spirit smoke a special uh... book thing :D oh and baby Kai will be here soon just to let ya know ;) **

**thank you for reading :)**

**~Mar**


	38. Legend

Days came and went, not a week would go by without hearing about problems across the land. Wu took on more responsibility as the one to settle things with most of the unknown troublemakers with Tanaka while the other four were occupied with day to day lives.

"You want to what?" Namiko's mouth dropped. The twenty six year old's brown eyes widened; surprised he actually even considered the thought of moving out of Ninjago City.

Her husband tilted his head back and forth, knowing Namiko wouldn't be crazy about the idea. "I know it's a big change…" he scratched the back of his head, looking down, "I know you want to keep the bar running because… of your father and all… but I don't think… we should stay here anymore…"

She folded her arms and looked down, "Why don't you want to stay in the city anymore?" She quietly asked, curious as to why the sudden desire.

He shrugged, "I don't really know… I always loved it here but… maybe a change of scenery would be nice too ya know? I guess… I still get painful memories about my mom in all honesty…" he looked away, shoving his hands in his pockets. She nodded, understanding his reasons. "Where would you like to live if you had to choose besides here?" he smiled.

She frowned and pressed her lips together, thinking, "Well… that quiet little valley? Ya know, Ignacia? It's only a couple of miles away from the city limits… we'd still be close to here…"

He quickly kissed her off guard, "That sounds perfect… and you can keep the bar too if ya like," he picked her up. "And it'd be a perfect place to raise kids…" Namiko blushed at the idea. Even days before they were married, they started talking about the idea. Personally she thought he'd make a wonderful father. "Well come on, let's go see if there are any places!" he let go of her.

* * *

Wu lowered his face guard mask with a wide smirk on his face, "Are ya ready Tana?"

Tanaka raised the bamboo sword and gave a brief smile behind his mask, "I am ready whenever you are young Wu". He spread his feet apart, still and ready. "You may have the first move if you desire…"

Wu nodded grateful and they took positions. Tanaka was like Garmadon, tall and built strong. Wu had a much more narrow frame and was more wiry so it gave a speed and maneuverability gain that a brawler like Tanaka didn't have. Still though, Tanaka could be just as fast.

The two young men started towards each other, raising the heavy kendo training swords. Masuta sat on the deck and watched them. It was rather nice Tanaka had returned to stay, hopefully for much longer before he decided to go off and wander Ninjago again. Wu was awfully lonely and was rather upset when Kasai said he'd be moving down the road to the west valley, frankly so did the Spinjitsu Master.

His students had grown up, and that was that though. He did miss the days they all lived together and laughed and trained without a care in the world. They tried to retain the same friendship, but life had changed. He was always concerned though for them all, especially his oldest son.

Masuta felt in his old bones that something was coming and rather soon. He didn't know what it was; all he saw was darkness and a looming threat. He wouldn't dare share it with any of the others, not until he could see more.

Tanaka finally hit Wu who collapsed to the ground, feeling his strained arms tire and drop. "Hehe… nice one," he heavily breathed, trying to laugh but felt too tired. Tanaka extended his hand helped the short blonde up, un strapping the heavy leather padding and returning them to their rightful place on the racks.

"You two did well," Masuta commented as they walked by. "You've been improving Wu…" he patted his shoulder as he passed the shorter blonde.

The blonde smiled wide, happy to hear it. "Thanks dad," he slid the door shut behind them when they made it inside. "So… Kasai and Namiko said they needed help moving tomorrow, you should see the place they got, it's really nice!" Tanaka shut the refrigerator. "I was going to go over, you gonna come?"

"Of course," Wu plopped down on the couch and nodded. "Knowing my brother and Misako… they'll be too busy to come by…" He leaned on the arm of the couch and sighed. "I wish they end up coming… I haven't seen either in a while… well, Misako tries to call…"

Tanaka smiled, "It really is amazing how after all the infliction Garmadon has done to you over the past… what? Twenty seven years; you always go back hoping he'll be better," he tilted his head. "Why is that?"

"Well you don't have an older brother so… you don't really understand… it's like I said the night we fought Sigan, Kappa, and Hatsu…" he looked down. "He's my brother…" he sucked in a breath, "And… well I guess you could say I… admire him in a sense… he's pretty tough to go through what's happened over the past few years… not to mention I can't say I blame him for always beating me up, I blame myself too for what happened to him…"

Tanaka raised a thick eyebrow, "What do you mean you blame yourself? Wu you were five years old… how could anyone possibly see the outcome of you being scared?"

Wu rolled his bright blue eyed, "Oh I don't know; it is my fault though," he restated. "I'm just saying that he's not all that bad and if he's a jerk it's not his fault," he shrugged.

"Okay Wu, I get it," the older one chuckled as he sat back against the cushions, "Over my time away I came across so much information and some of it pertained to this… Great Devourer…"

Wu looked up quickly, sitting on his knees, partially excited, "Tell me everything you know".

Tanaka nodded, "Okay then…" he inhaled with a hint of a smile on his pale face seeing Wu with undivided, sing minded attention. "People normally die from its venom back in the old days when it was alibe… funny how Garmadon is probably so stupidly stubborn and strong that all it did was make him… well… evil…" he chuckled a little.

Wu pointed at the older ninja. "My brother is not evil-"

Tanak's pale gray eyes turned dead serious now. "He is Wu… how many people have we encountered that said so? Cardinsto… Hatsu… Gahrann… Samukai and Sigan… all of them know the legend… everyone who treads the dark path can recognize when someone else is… it's just something they can see based on Garmadon's rash action and attitude."

Wu's eyebrows went up, "How- what legend?!" he shook his head, completely surprised. His father had never mentioned such a legend.

"Haven't you heard of it?" Tanaka paused, "Oh yes… your father keeps many secrets from his students… well it's a good thing he called us true ninja a while back so now we have a right to know these things." he crossed his leg over his knee, "Well that legend I heard was that there will be a green ninja… one that will rise above four and defeat the dark lord…"

The short blonde ninja sat back against the couch and let out a breath, obviously having a lovely fantasy moment play out in his head, judging by his wide eyes. "Wow… I'm going to defeat my brother-"

"How do you know it's even you?" Tanaka blinked, taken back at the fact that's what Wu was thinking.

Wu tilted his head back and forth and sheepishly grinned, "Well I mean… I control light… it makes sense right? Two brothers… one good and one evil! It makes sense!" He sounded rather confident in his rash assumption.

The one in lavender sighed, "Shame we don't know… it might not be you Wu… It could be me… maybe Misako… it could be someone we haven't even met yet for all we know… and Garmadon doesn't really show any signs of wanting to rule the world… we could be wrong about him being the dark one".

Wu nodded quickly, "Yea… yea… for all we know; it's just a legend! Who says legends are true!? Like how do we really know my father was just spinning some old story about when he fought the _Overlord?_" he laughed.

* * *

"Would you look at this!?" Misako clapped her hands together excitedly, "This is the new exhibit on the creation of Ninjago and the prophecy of the Overlord!" she showed her husband. "The archeologists up north by the shore dug up some stone warrior weapons and these old stones with prophecy engravings!"

Garmadon nodded and looked at it, "And you put all of this together?!" he looked back her, looking mildly impressed.

She nodded quickly, bouncing on the balls of her feet, "Yea, well, with the help of some others…" she looked around and frowned, "Oh where are they anyways?" she heard laughter from the office she shared as a break room with the others. "Sonia, Daniel…" she sighed.

"What? We're on break!" a chestnut haired young woman laughed.

Misako raised an eyebrow, "Again?" She looked around, "Where's Rose and Jamie?"

Daniel shrugged and sat back in the swivel chair, "Hell if we know… probably running some papers to the boss…" he opened a box, "Donut?"

The green eyed woman laughed and shook her head, "Nah I'm good… we're gonna go get dinner. I'm gonna clock out though… have fun locking up you two when the night guard comes by!" she tossed the keys to the two.

The blonde one caught it with one hand, "See ya on Monday Mimi," he waved a little.

The two walked through the front doors. The sun started going down, "So… do you want to help Kasai and Namiko move tomorrow?" Misako put her hands in her pockets.

Garmadon frowned, looking at his feet as they walked down the block, "I don't know… if you want to…"

"Well, if you want to sleep in… no one will judge you," she kissed his cheek. "I actually have some paper work to do on some grants Mr. Wilson is e-mailing anyways… but we should go over for a little bit, they are our friends."

**I have been so lazy... sorry... expect updates and all of that... I've been working on "Getting Back Together" and it has been amusing so far so maybe I can post that later... So... yea I have nothing more to say...**

**Thanks for reading**

**~Mar**


	39. Spirit Smoke

Wu sat across from his father, cross-legged on the floor, candles lit around them. "Now… I think it's time you were properly taught the use of spirit smoke my son," Masuta lit incense and placed it in the holder. "In the twenty seven years you have lived… it is time I passed along all of my knowledge to you…"

"Shouldn't Garmadon be here too though?" Wu frowned.

The much older Spinjitsu Master sighed and shook his head, "Wu; Garmadon is not like you… he has… that terrible venom in his blood and I cannot allow him to know all of my secrets like I can with you, now hush and listen please".

"Yes sir…" Wu lowered his head, feeling bad.

His father nodded, "Good, now… close your eyes… clear you mind… and breathe…" Wu did as he was told. He always hated the smell of the incense though; guess he would have to learn to love it if he would use this skill. "Now… this is your first time… so do not expect to see anything major happen".

Wu nodded, eyes still shut.

He felt a weird sensation through his muscles as he tensed up, hands tightly grabbing his knees, knuckles turning white. He clenched his teeth together and started trembling.

_"__Dad?"_

_"__Goodbye brother…"_

_"__GARMADON STOP!" _

_Four young men in black, white, blue, and red; one in green lifted above their heads, two brothers and the girl they fought over, one is the light, one tainted forever._

Wu opened his eyes, sweat dripping down his face. His father opened his eyes, staring at his youngest son, "Wu… what is it?" The young man tried to stop his shaking and he painfully swallowed.

"I… I'm fine… odd sensation is all…" he coughed and wiped his face.

"You look as though you have seen a ghost!" Masuta sat on his knees and held a hand to Wu's face. "What did you see son?"

Wu shook his head quickly, "I didn't see anything… I saw… just… it wasn't anything…" he voided his eyes and tried to relax. It was a complete lie though because he was pretty sure he saw something incredibly important.

The Spinjitsu Master slowly nodded, "Well then… I suppose we can always try again tomorrow; right?" Wuw asn't telling him something, the younger one couldn't make it any more obvious.

"Yes sir…" Wu lowered his head. His father left the room first and Wu slowly rose. He broke into a run as soon as he went outside where his father couldn't see or hear. He ran all the way down the stairs that wrapped around the mountain and eventually down the road to his brother's home.

* * *

Misako looked through the peep hole and smiled, unlocking the door. "WU!" she opened it with a cheery smile.

"Is Garmadon home?!" Wu let out a puff of air, his lungs were burning.

The woman with the glasses blinked, confused, "You're sweating and you looked like you just ran a marathon… did you run all the way here?"

Wu nodded, trying to swallow but his throat was dry as the adrenaline still coursed through his body. "I need to talk to you! It's important!"

Misako quickly helped him inside and got him a glass of water. After downing the whole glass in under a minute, the blonde was ready to talk. "Dad started teaching me to use the spirit smoke today…" he started.

"That's great!" she smiled. "It must be interesting right?"

He quickly shook his head, "No… no not great! He said I wouldn't see much since it was my first time… but Misako…" he grabbed her hand, "Oh gods Misako…" he shook his head again. She was almost scared at his alarmed tone. "I saw it all…"

She leaned back, a little surprised by his strange behavior. "Saw all of what!? Wu, what are you talking about?"

"The future…" he ran his hands through his hair, drenched with sweat. "I was always worried for my brother… I care… I really care but… I don't know how far in the future it was… but… he was gonna kill me Misako… he was gonna kill you and that little boy…"

"Little boy?" Misako tilted her head. "What little boy?"

Wu panted. He hadn't thought about that one. He tried to remember the child's face and then he saw it, emerald eyes and a face that matched his brother's. "Your son… Misako he must have been your son! It may not be so far in the future after all… you still looked rather young…"

"Wu just stop! Garmadon isn't going to kill anyone!" she shouted at him. "You might have just day dreamed it!" she rolled her emerald colored eyes.

"It's real Misako… I know it's real… and it will happen… please listen… leave him…" he pleaded for her to understand, "I just have this gut feeling!"

She blinked. "You… wait; what!?" she almost looked insulted now. "Why would I leave him? He's never done anything to hurt me… he wants nothing but for me to love him…" she jerked her hand out of Wu's grasp angrily, "And I do… I love him…" Wu's blue eyes pleaded and she frowned. "I see…" she folded her arms. "You want me to leave him for _you_".

"Misako-"

She held up a hand, "Just stop…" she wiped her eyes. "Wu… I know you love me… I… _sort of_ had feelings for you as well for a short while but I chose him… he wanted nothing to do but protect me and he stood by me whenever I shoved him away… you always backed off…"

"Believe me this has nothing to do with things like that…" Wu stood up as well trying to convince her. "I am only looking out for you and your future baby…"

"There is no baby!" she snapped at him. "I'm done… there is no way that I will try and have another child… Garmadon and I agreed… we're done with trying…"

"You will not stop destiny's hands Misako-"

She ran her fingers through her hair, looking more and more upset, "I am so sick of hearing about so called destiny Wu… was it destiny that my parents had to die? Was it destiny that I had a miscarriage? Or that Sigan would murder my daughter?"

"Misako stop that is not what this is about! We all are tied and bound to certain events that will happen! Garmadon is evil… it may not show right now… but I swear to you I am not lying about what I saw! You can believe or ignore… I am only looking out for you!"

He started out of the door, "And where are you going!" she shouted after him.

"To get away from this cursed house…" he threw his arms in the air angrily. He paused and looked back, "And your son's name is Lloyd by the way!"

"Get out!" Misako snapped and pointed to the door he was walking out of.

"I am!"

"Fine!"

"FINE!"

The door slammed shut and she started shaking. The back door opened and she jumped when she saw Garmadon walking in. Her face was red and eyes bloodshot, leaking tears. "Misako?"

She broke out crying and ran to him, squeezing him tightly. "Misako!? What's wrong? What happened?! I heard shouting!"

"NOTHING!" she hiccupped.

Wu peeked through the window at the two and shook his head. "I warned her…" he whispered to himself. What hurt the most was that the woman he loved still clung to the man he knew would try and kill them all. He sighed; he didn't know what was real or fake anymore.

He walked down the sidewalk, shoving his hands in his pockets hoping that everything would just turn out okay.

**Tensioooon... well that was bit of serious chapter... don't worry this is no where near close to the end lol. I still got some stuff going on... **

**Thank you for reading :D **

**~Mar**


	40. Tearing

"Hey uh… so, how about… visiting the monastery later?" Garmadon clicked his teeth together as his wife remained silent. "Ya know… visit my brother maybe?" She continued to keep her eyes shut as she leaned against his side on the couch, unresponsive. "You always like to see Wu-"

"Why do you suddenly care about seeing your brother?" she abruptly interrupted his sentance. He looked taken aback but her sudden outburst. She coughed and wiped her eye, "Uh… no… no I don't want to go and visit…" sh tried to recover. They were silent for a few moments.

"What's wrong?" he finally asked. "Because ever since you broke down that day you have had a strange disdain for Wu… you two are great friends so you might as well tell me what he said to you before I came in that was enough to make you cry like that…" he bluntly put it. "Because if you hurt you in any way I will end that little punk ass-"

"Silly spirit smoke… messing with his head…" she tried to wave it off. "Your father must be teaching him wrong or something… he said something stupid… something about you trying to kill us all," she tried laughing but it felt and even sounded forced.

"Yea…" he quietly mumbled. "How silly…" he looked down at her beside him and gently rubbed her shoulder.

Wu painstakingly looked at the pictures on his wall as he had been doing more and more. All of him and the friends he grew up with. The one he found himself staring at the most was the one with Garmadon in between, an arm wrapped around him and Misako. They were all smiling, like nothing was wrong.

He realized the photo was taken in late November, before Misako turned nineteen and the death of her parents the death of her unborn baby. He chewed the inside of his lip and tore it from the wall, throwing it in a drawer on his desk.

The blonde let out a loud sigh and walked out into the living room which hurt to be in as well. Everywhere reminded him of life before all the suffering. When the six were happy as could be.

Wu continued to see moments of the future which haunted his dreams. He kept lying to his father though. "Why can I see these things and father can't…" he groaned and scratched his short hair. He kicked the doorframe that led outside and plopped down on the stairs. "Why me? Why would it be revealed to only me?"

A pang of anxiety hit him, "Or maybe father won't be around when it comes to pass… could that be why he can't see this stuff?" he started talking to himself more.

_"__I don't know about that one Wu… At this rate… I don't know how much longer I have… And no father should have to bury their child… your brother can understand that much…"_

"Why do I even care?!" he growled to himself. Why should he? Whatever he saw would fall on their deaf ears. She yelled at him and their friendship was ruined now. He wasn't just friend-zoned, he was now shunned because she didn't want to accept what he was saying could be true.

He didn't ask to see the future or to become a ninja or being the son of the god of Spinjitsu. _"Huh…" _he looked down, _"Guess I sort of understand how Garmadon feels a little…" _It started getting him worked up the more he thought about it.

The phone rang and he decided he would answer it. "Hello?" he aggressively answered.

"Hey…" a tired and monotone voice answered.

Wu's heart lifted a little and his tone softened, "Misako? What… what is it?" Why the hell would she call? Would she yell at him more? Would she sic her husband on him?

"I still don't want to believe you… but I'm sorry I yelled at you…" she quietly apologized. "I was… wrong to assume your intentions…"

He breathed with relief, starting to smile. "It's okay… I wouldn't have believed me either… guess I'm nothing but a loon…" he tried to laugh.

Misako readjusted her hold on the phone. "I really am sorry though… I was pretty hurtful…"

"You're forgiven Mimi…" he smiled. "You're always forgiven… Are we still meeting going to meet up with Kasai and Namiko?" he hopefully asked. Every since everyone started moving out, they made it a point to constantly meet just to try and keep things as normal as they could ever get again.

She waited a few moments before answering, "Yea… yea, I think we all should…" she nodded. "Besides, another friend was throwing a baby shower later for Nami… so it'll be nice to see everyone before we go…"

* * *

"So, it's a boy," Namiko happily patted her round belly. "Don't tell Kasai… but I'm naming him after him," she laughed. "It'll be Kai though but… ya know; close enough!" she giggled.

"How cute," Misako picked at her own nails. She seemed to be a little on edge, Rose had a little year and half old son, Edna just had a little boy and the rest were talking about having kids themselves. She figured she'd be very out of place.

"Oh I always wanted a little girl myself! Maybe I should just get things moving and just propose to my boyfriend since he's dragging things out!" the others laughed with her. "Who do you think he'll look like?" Sonia leaned forward, giggling.

Namiko laughed, "I'm hoping he'll look like Kasai…" she leaned back in her seat. "Hey; Misako, something wrong?" she finally noticed. The other young women turned to look at the only one on edge. Of course they all knew Misako had plenty of trouble in the past with her babies.

The woman with the glasses looked up and shook her head, "Nah, I'm fine…" she wiped her eye. "Uh, tired is all…" In reality, she felt guilty about the whole family situation. When she thought about it, she never realized the way Garmadon's red eyes lit up when they talked about their coming babies or when he held their newborn before she was taken away.

She denied him something that would probably help keep whatever venom that made him supposedly 'cursed' go away. Then she remembered what Wu told her about the visions. The decision on what to do was tearing her apart as she prolonged it more and more.

All she could do now was just enjoy the fact her friend was happy and maybe just move on with her life.

**Ah short chapter... but the next one's hella long... sort of... I had fun writing the little book thing that they find... hehehe but what book? You'll have to wait and see kiddos...**

**Thank you for reading :3**

**~Mar**


	41. Delilah's Book

Misako had a few hours to kill after she was let off early from work, so like any other normal day, she went to the library. She had some research to do for the new exhibits anyways.

The woman with the glasses stopped to stare at a book on the shelf that wasn't there before, and she had been by the shelf a million times, "Well… now what's this? "Cults and Magic Creature Mythology?"" she raised an eyebrow and pulled it out, and placed the small stack of books down, sitting at table and opening the leather bound book up. Misako flipped through the pages quickly but stumbled upon something written in the back pages.

_Of course you know that there is no such thing as myths here in Ninjago. If you hear a legend, then it probably is very much true. Most ordinary people do not believe in wizards, Dream Gargoyles, the ice wars, or the cults of the Black Angel… Skeletons are some of the only generally believed 'myth'. _

_This book looks like it is written to disregard the myths and creatures, but if you picked it up, you know better. I am happy you picked this book up because I have covered everything there is to know from my time studying the ancient fights and everything in between. Knowledge is the ultimate power. Sadly, far too many people in Ninjago push aside the past and forget about the things of old._

_I know only one of very few would pick this book up, so; Misako, I know you are clever and smart if this really is you reading… or it could be Tanaka... maybe even Wu. You could always learn to love the past so teach the others well! You most likely encountered many of the villains and creatures recorded in this book, so you will have experience young ninja._

_Now who am I that I know all of your names or would possibly know you? I had the gift of foresight as well. Right now, I am Delilah Marret, but I am engaged to the Master of Spinjitsu, Masuta. I foresee my sons and their friends, and I wonder if I shall meet ever get the chance to meet you all. I will probably not, so read my book, uncover the secrets of Ninjago and the prophecies. _

_Do not tell Masuta you found this for he will be mad I wrote it even if I am long gone by the time you find my notes if you really are a ninja and is or were his student. _

Misako sat up straight, surprised at what she read. "Okay then…" she opened to the first page, "I guess I should show the others this…" she frowned and looked at her watch. She grabbed the books and quickly checked them out because the place would be closing soon anyways.

She ran down the block and found her husband waiting there, "Where have you been!?" he walked over. He looked at the stack of books and sighed, "Library _again_?"

"I found something even more important!" she grinned and held the top book up with excitement in her eyes. "Call the others and tell them to meet us at the bar tomorrow morning…"

"But it's closed tomorrow! Nami never opens it in the mornings! Only on Saturdays!"

"Exactly!" she got into the car with her stack of books. Garmadon sighed and got in as well, sometimes she could be too high maintenance.

* * *

Namiko locked the door behind her, "What's so important?" she yawned. Here and Kasai took seats around the big table in the middle.

Misako pulled the book out with an excited grin, "I found this in the library last night but I have no intention of returning it…" she opened it.

"Ooooh, Good good Mimi's going bad!" Kasai chuckled, "You naughty book thief!"

She rolled her emerald eyes and shook her head. In fact, the library didn't even recognize it when she tried to check it out. Misako placed the book down and leaned forward, "It was written by Delilah before she even married Masuta!"

Wu and Garmadon quickly grabbed at the book together to find it to be true. Her name printed neatly at the bottom of the first page. "No way… she had the foresight ability too". Wu grinned, secretly laughing that he had a tie to his mother after all.

The light brunette nodded and pulled it back, "She said she pretty much wrote this for us…" she pointed to their names. "I've always been troubled about… stuff Wu sees…" she looked at the blonde who avoided her eyes. "But… I think if we read this… we can have a better chance at protecting Ninjago… if this has every villain we have and could face; I think we could become the heroes we always wanted to be…"

"I'd even go as far to say we'd be unstoppable…" Tanaka frowned as the book was passed to him. "Wow… it has everyone in here…" he flipped through a couple of pages, studying the detailed inked illustrations. "Gee…" he looked at Garmadon, "You're mom was one talented lady…"

Garmadon sighed, "Yea… tell me about it…"

"What should we look up first?!" Kasai excited pulled the book his way.

Wu leaned on the heel of his hand, looking at the table of entries. "What's that one?" he pointed to one almost at the end titled "The Great Demon Serpents".

Their six sets of eyes widened and they flipped to the page. There were several. The first few were listed as fire, water, and ice. The last one though Wu stopped them. "The Great Devourer…" he cleared his throat before reading, giving a quick glance at his older brother.

_The mightiest of demon serpents was none other than The Great Devourer. It was worshipped like a god amongst the ancient snake race the Serpentine. Many people died by this atrocious beast and it grew to an amazing size, nearly consuming the world as a whole. Before it was destroyed though by Masuta, it had laid an egg, an egg that hatched a new one that my future husband would not know about until it was far too late. _

_The venom of a Devourer is deadly, killing anyone it bites. However, I foresee one getting bit… that; would be my own son. Which one I do not know because I apparently have two. Whichever one, he would be very strong in will. Like me I guess one could say. After this, the only way to stop this new monster from growing to big will be to seal it away in the Lost City Ouroboris._

Wu's blue eyes flicked up at everyone. This really was getting interested. "Keep reading," Garmadon nudged Wu's shoulder. He knew this would be very important to his brother since he was older and therefore knew their mother better. It may have been his last connection to her. The blonde nodded and continued.

_If one was so lucky to survive the bite, he would not simply be fine, no; he would fulfill one half of an ancient prophecy set up by my Masuta when he divided Ninjago in two. There was to be a new battle to end all, a new so called Dark Lord and a new Master of Spinjitsu. _

_The venom would no doubt slowly cause his heart to turn black, suppressing any feelings of happiness, loyalty, and love to a lover or comrades._

Misako squeezed his hand and closed her eyes, as Wu's calm voice turned to worry. Kasai and Namiko kept sneaking glimpses of their friend to see his reactions to the text.

_It is unsure whether it would be a very fast process, or a slow one. My theory is that as long as the victim has someone to be close to, to form a bond stronger than all the universe; it would further slow the effects by how much I will never know, it could be long enough to live a happy life and then die, but I couldn't possibly know because I do not have my sons yet. _

_This is all I know about the Devourer on its own, more information is under Serpentine or the Green Ninja Prophecy on the final written pages of this book. By all means, if you discover even more, you should add to this book, for this is why I left blank pages. _

Wu hurried to the end of the book where the prophecy was and took in breath, trying to keep his voice steady and not rush or mumble so the others could understand.

_The prophecy is of four young heroes with a power each of Masuta in them; fire, ice, earth, and lighting, and would be the guardians of the Golden Weapons in which they receive their elemental powers. However, there will be one who will stand above them; the ninja of green, with power of all four inside that will be like the reincarnation of Masuta. _

_It is unknown the time or place, but the Devourer's venom is more than likely linked, because there must be a dark lord in which to conquer for all of this to be true. From all that I gathered; it will be one of my sons. Who the child of green is, I could not possibly know. I cannot see any further than one being bit._

_The Final Battle shall shake the whole land. It will be a terrible time for all on both sides of the scale. I pray it is not you, my oldest son because what I have seen of you, you are sweet and kind. I pray you find happiness and live out your years with her and know nothing but love and joy. Do not let the darkness take your heart from those who love you._

Wu trailed off. "That's all there is…" the blonde looked at the pages again, then back up. All eyes were on Garmadon who was even paler than normal.

"Garmadon?" Misako whispered, feeling his hands shake.

He pushed himself away from the table and ran out. As expected, Misako was the first to run after him but he stopped halfway down the block, partially hidden in an alley. She crouched down in front of him. "Hey…" he kept looking away from her. "HEY!" she snapped.

"My father was right…" he swallowed, "Stay away from me… all of you…"

"We love you… all of us… we all grew up together did you really think that we would just sit around and let you waste away hoping it's not you in the end of all things?" she angrily said, snapping her fingers to get his attention.

He grabbed her shoulders, "My father was right, we rushed everything… our relationship…" he swallowed. "You never would have married me if I never got you pregnant and if we lost the baby…" he shook his head. "It was all some stupid fairytale I made up in my head…"

She finally smacked him across the face, leaving a read mark against his pale skin. "If you don't stop acting like this I'll do more than give you a little red welt!"

His red eyes widened and she looked down. "She said that if you had someone by your side… it could slow the effects…" she looked back up. "And you have five people… you understand? Five people who refuse to give up on you… me especially…" Misako's face turned red, "I was wrong for telling you to forget about having a baby… the way you smiled when you held her… it was like nothing bit you… no venom no _evil_… just… the man I could spend the rest of my life with…"

"What if dad was right? What if I end up hurting you too?"

"Risk I'll have to take…" she shook her head and held his hands in hers. "I want to go home… I want you to move on from this… no one decides your fate but you". He squeezed her tightly and she patted him on the back. "It's okay…"

**I swear I should just finish writing every passage of headcannon and theory of villains and creatures and make it a fan fic on here because I wrote several passages so that I can use for the plot purposes... like a lot... especially about Serpentine and some odds and ends stuff. **

**This is gonna be a plot device for later on because I needed a third party they could get information from about the stuff they face. They're all young so I wanted them to go on and strive for glory as any young person would...**

**So if I wrote the entire journal, would you guys like to read it? Because I need to write more anyways for other stuff...**

**Thanks for reading though! **

**~Mar**


	42. Words that went Unsaid

Kai Blackman was his name; soft brown hair like Namiko but the darker, umber brown eyes like his father Kasai. Everyone was visiting in their small home in the next village over the week after the new parents came home with their bundle of joy.

"Yea I don't think he likes me…" Garmadon looked away when Misako was holding the baby boy. The tiny bundle of red blankets fussed and whined every time the young man tried to get near the cranky baby.

Namiko laughed, "I don't know… why wouldn't he like you?" Misako gave the baby back to Namiko who start gently bouncing him, "Why do you whine around uncle Garmadon, huh? It's very rude…" she bopped his nose, Kai making a shrill laugh.

"Apple don't fall far from the tree then," he smirked at Kasai. "You were pretty much a little brat too when I met you, kidnapping my brother and all".

Kasai started arguing back and Namiko pulled the other woman aside, "Hey is he going to be okay?" she glanced back at Garmadon and her own husband arguing like they were still kids.

Misako bit her lip, "I don't know… he's trying and I can't ask for anything more…" she smiled a little.

"So… did you make a decision exactly? I know you've been struggling with the whole 'baby' thing with him…" she looked down at Kai who was calming down more.

Misako nodded, "Yea, I plan on telling him tonight…" she scratched behind her ear, "Might as well make him happy for his birthday tomorrow, right?" She pressed her lips together in a smile, "But yea I'm totally at peace with it…" she folded her arms, letting out a sigh. "And…I've been doing more reading from Delilah's book… more or less the same… ancient wars and her visions…"

"Wu has visions…" Namiko stroked Kai's soft brown hair. "It's pretty cool I think that he has that gift like his parents".

Misako swallowed and nodded, "He told me about one… but… you can't honestly believe in everything right? Some of them could have just been nightmares…" The other slowly nodded, knowing that maybe… she was just in denial of the visions of doom and darkness.

They got home late so they headed straight for bed. Misako bit her lip into a smile as she pulled out her short nightie she wore on their wedding night. She looked back and slipped it on quickly and hugged him from behind so he couldn't see her yet, "Mind if I give one of your birthday gifts early?"

"And what would that possibly be?" he tried to look behind at her but she wouldn't let him. She laughed and let go, hands folded behind her back when he turned around. She looked down, crossing her legs. "Are you serious?"

"More than I've been lately… but I'm at peace with what my mind decided," he wrapped his arms around her lifted her up. "You should leave your shirt off…" she blushed, fingers tracing the lotus tattoo on his left shoulder.

Their noses touched, "And why the sudden… interest in such activities?" he slipped his hand a little higher.

She kissed him quickly, "I'm sorry…" she trailed off and looked away, "it was selfish of me…" she rested her head on his shoulder as he carried over to the bed. "I want you to be happy…"

"You already make me happy…" he kissed her cheek. "And your feelings matter too you know…" he plopped her on the bed.

"And my feelings just decided they want to have a baby…" she laid back. "If you don't want it then I can always change into my regular flannel pajamas-"

"No this one's fine…" he quickly said and lay down next to her.

Wu groaned as the back of his head pounded. He woke up yet again in a cold sweat. "Stupid visions…" he grumpily got up and stretched, running his hands through his hair. "Stupid everything…" he brought his fist down on his desk. His bag falling off and he winced, hoping his father was not up still.

He frowned at the floor and picked the dark should bag up; pulling something square and thick out of it. "Oh no… Misako gave this to me to look at and I must have taken it home…" he closed his eyes and sighed at his mother's book, mumbling to himself.

"Wu? Are you up?"

"And now I gotta hide it…" Wu looked around and started stowing it back in his bag. Masuta came in and looked at his younger son out of bed.

"Is there something wrong?" he frowned at the book. "What's that? I don't remember that being in my library…" he walked in.

Wu backed up a little, "it's nothing father… uh… Misako let me borrow a book she rented…"

Masuta raised an eyebrow, "Then it must be interesting if she picked it out," he held his hand out. He knew. Wu was beat and let the book be snatched from his hand.

His father looked through the first few pages and shut the book with a clap, "You should not have seen this…" he frowned, holding the book up.

"We read it all…" Wu looked away. "It was written for us, you have to give it back; please!" he tried to kindly say it.

Masuta shook his head, "Should have known… your mother wrote this…" he looked at it more. "I told her not to write so much important stuff down like this…" he looked down at the youngest son. "Some things are better left unread…"

"That prophecy is about Garmadon isn't it?" Wu whispered, realizing it. Masuta looked down and let out a breath. "It is and you never even said… you knew all along…" he covered his mouth. "Garmadon was right when he said you knew things but never said…" His father looked away still, silent. "Father… I respect you… but that is wrong…"

"I did say your brother was cursed did I not?"

"Yea but nothing this serious!" Wu rubbed his eyes. "Lord of darkness? Father… it can't be him…"

"Garmadon is floating dangerously close to darkness… that is why I tried to split him and Misako when they got to close… I was hoping they would never stray beyond friendship… why do you think I was angry with him when they told me they were having a child?"

Wu swallowed; heartbeat in his ears. "But… but mom said that she could help him…" he ran his hands through his hair, "Misako could help him… she always helped him…"

"I know you've been seeing far more than you've been telling my son… what do your eyes see than mine cannot?"

Wu started sweating, goose bumps on his skin, "No…" he looked away and rubbed his arms. "I- father there are some things you can't control… we may be your sons… but you can't force us to do your will all the time… you can't always say destiny must take its course…" he swallowed, now Misako's denial was rubbing up on him.

Masuta looked at Wu. He was always the more obedient of the two, so quiet and easy going. Had he really forgotten he was thirty years old now? The master swallowed, "Wu… I need to know… I am the protector of Ninjago-".

Wu looked up, "You told us… in front of Samukai, that we were the new protectors… father if you ever want to pass on without another worry… then you need start trusting us more than you do now…"

"Your brother-"

"Is doing okay now…" he swallowed. "Misako has a handle on him…" he felt his heart ache as he said it. "You said so yourself; Misako is a girl full of love…" he shrugged. "Now… we decided that would be her book…" he pointed to the leather bound journal. "We can protect Ninjago with it…"

"I suppose what more harm can you do being you read it all…" the much older man shook his head and dropped the book on the table. "Next time… tell me before you jump into something like this again…"

Then again, this was not the first time the obedient Wu went behind the master's back; and it probably would not be the last.

**Baby Kai :D Hehe... thanks for reading! **

**~Mar**


	43. General Arcturus

Kai sat on the stool across the room as he stared at his father working in the little shop with wide eyes. He was a little over a year old and since Namiko continued to work as well, Kasai was completely happy to watch over the little one.

He was so patient and quiet too which Kasai loved. He wouldn't try and touch the hot metal or go near the small fire. After a while though Kai lifted his arms and started whimpering. "Up…" Kasai looked up and smiled a little at his son, putting the tools away and letting the fire die out.

"Well now… want to do something else little one?" he lifted his son up and kissed the top of his head. "I think I did enough work today anyways". Kai clapped his hands.

"Did you see that!?" Two teenagers were walking along the path in front of the shop when they stopped and stared at the tall grass. Kasai looked back and frowned.

"I don't know Casey! I don't see anything!" a red head with a face full of freckles rolled her eyes.

The blonde backed away more, "I'm telling you there's something in the tall grass Holly!" grabbing at her friend's sleeve, pulling her away as well.

"Da?" Kai looked up, tilting his head.

His father licked his bottom lip and quickly put Kai down, "Now… stay here and do not come out unless I say!" he pointed and said it slowly so that Kai would hopefully understand. From one of the barrels in the back of the shop he pulled out a sword he finished before and came out to where the two girls were. "What did it look like?"

"It looked like a snake; only BIGGER!" the one named Holly squealed, exaggerating with her arms the size of what she saw. "It was purple I think…" she started chewing her nails nervously.

Kasai narrowed his dark brown eyes and held the sword at ready, "We know you're in there… so come on out and I will not harm you…"

"Such stupid promise for a human…" a voice hissed back at him.

A set of magenta eyes was seen through the tops of the grass and a head rose out until it sat a good foot over his head. "What the hell are you?" he whispered in awe and shock.

"General Arcturus of the tribe of Anacondrai…" he looked back at couple others of purple and varied colors. "Oh and we are the Serpentine…"

Kasai looked back at the girls, "Now… Casey and Holly… I want you to grab my son and start running towards the city, my wife runs the bar; I can handle this…" The two nodded fast and Casey picked up Kai and started down the road to warn the others. Kasai clicked his teeth together, _"Now I just need to call the others… hopefully I can manage to call one and they'll spread the word… either that or the two girls will get word to them"._

* * *

Namiko busily filled up steins and slid them along the slick counter, happy that business was good. The front door slammed opened and everyone turned around. "Casey?" her eyes widened and saw that Kai was in her arms.

"SERPENTINE!" the two girls screamed.

Namiko's brown eyes widened in shock and she nearly tripped over her sneaker laces, grabbing for the phone.

* * *

Misako shut the copier off and put the stack of papers on the desk and pulled out a set of binders. "Sonia, get these papers to Mr. Wilson…" she pointed to the stack when the phone rang. "Hello? Ninjago Natural History Museum office?"

"Serpentine are in Ignacia! Like ones in the books we read!" Namiko shouted.

"Serpentine!? They were sealed away ages ago!" the brunette tried to convince Namiko it must have been some child's practical joke.

"They are real! Two girls from my village ran into the bar with Kai and told me Kasai is fighting a hoard on his own! Get Wu and Garmadon! Tanaka is already here with me!"

Misako nodded, "Will do, we'll come straight away…" She hung it up, "DANIEL!" she shouted. The blonde man ran in, "Tell Mr. Wilson I had to leave because of urgent business and call my husband saying to meet me in Ignacia in the West Valley…" she closed up her books, snapping off the orders. "I have Serpentine to hunt…"

* * *

Kasai was knocked flat on his back by the one named Arcturus. He flipped over and tried to push himself up, "My you are a rather weak ninja…" the purple snake tilted his head. "Why… my own son could take you down… isn't that right Pythor?" he looked behind. A smaller version of him slithered up and nodded his head, whipping out a dagger with a smirk.

Something flew through the air and knocked the small weapon from the child Serpentine's claws, "Back away from my husband you slimy snakes!" Namiko growled; three more kunai between her narrow fingers.

"There must be at least thirty…" Wu chewed his bottom lip, thinking of an estimated amount. The odds were not exactly in their favor it seemed.

"Masuta locked you all away! How can you be here?" Tanaka demanded an explanation.

"That is because we are survivors!" Arcturus laughed in his deep voice. "We escaped on our own and we decided that our army will take the land from you surface dwellers!" he looked away, "And this is not my whole army…"

Garmadon looked at the others and smirked, "Guys… be prepared to have an awful lot of Serpentine skins to hang on our walls…"

"What an arrogant young man you are…" Arcturus tutted; tail swishing back and forth as he was excited to take down six ninja. "Today we have war on you who defend the surface dwellers…"

"Wouldn't have it any other way…" Misako tightened her grip on her scythe and narrowed her green eyes. "We are the defenders of Ninjago, to surrender to you… well, that would not be doing our job…" Luckily for the six, they had read the Serpentine page already from Delilah's journal. There were five different tribes, all with their own unique set of powers and abilities;

Anacondrai with the power to unhinge their jaws and swallow their victims whole and to turn invisible, Hypnobrai with the power hypnotize and control others, Fangpyre whose venom can turn anything or anyone into a snake, Constrictai, who could immobilize someone and have incredible strength and were expert burrowers, and Venomari; whose venom caused wild hallucinations.

And they would have to take on all five types at once. "Now dear ones… I must leave for my other… plans," Arcturus chuckled, "I leave you with my small attack force…"

Kasai growled and lunged forward, "Ninja-GO!" his orange Spinjitsu went after the invisible creature but gasped for air when he hit the ground.

"We have more important matters…" Misako shook her head.

"Leave now and we won't have to harm you all," Tanaka loudly said.

They started laughing at him and the other ninja. Garmadon was the first to get in a ready stance, because he knew what they'd do next.

In a gold smoke cloud something appeared between the two parties. "Tut tut… you naughty Serpentine… I locked you away and yet you still come out and try and take over the land…"

Garmadon half groaned. "Sure… now you show up just when I was ready to be the hero…" his hissed to himself.

"Quiet son," Masuta's hand glowed gold, "Now… tell me this Arcturus seems to be missing… I take it he is away, trying to stir more mischief than what is needed… If you leave now… I will consider not wiping you from existence".

"That's the Spinjitsu Master…" they all murmured. "I heard he wiped out an entire Serpentine army with one move of his hand…"

"But Arcturus won't like it if we go back without causing a little bit of trouble!"

"Too bad! We have other plans in motion anyways!" a Venomari started backing away. "RETREAT!"

**Woo, Serpentine! AND BABY PYTHOR... I thought it'd be awesome if Arcturus was his dad, because why else name the rocket Arcturus other than the reason he was famous Serpentine general?! **

**And look, the mood of the story changes again... army time! :D Thanks for reading the update I planned on updating like... two days ago...**

**~Mar**


	44. A War Brewing

"Serpentine here… a Skulkin there… what could possibly be going on…" Tanaka looked out the window of the bar. It was almost time to close it down for Namiko's break before happy hour began. So far, nobody in the city or in the more outskirt parts liked the constant Serpentine bandits that pestered them.

He looked down at Kai who was listening with a bewildered look on his face.

The brunette shrugged, "I don't know…" she sighed, wiping down the tables covered in sticky liquid. "But it's something big no doubt… it's been three months since Arcturus showed up… we should be more on our game…"

"Up… up… Ma-ma!" Kai held his arms out to his mother, trying to wiggle out of Tanaka's stronger arms.

She washed her hands off and grabbed him, kissing the top of his head. "I just hope that we can handle it…" she looked at her son. "I just want my baby safe…" she swallowed and looked down. "Guess I know how Misako and Garmadon felt about Hope…"

"Speaking of them… I wonder if those two and Wu found anything yet… they were supposed to report back an hour ago…" Tanaka frowned.

"Come on Wu! They're catching up!" Garmadon looked back at his wife and brother angrily. Misako was doing okay, quickly moving along, but the blonde was even farther behind than woman with the scythe in green.

The blue eyed ninja dared to look back, a long necked Anacondrai had his face right behind the one in pale gray and gold, snapping his jaws as he slithered. "EEEEEE!" the younger brother's legs pumped even faster than he was already moving them.

"Don't let them get away!" A skulkin shouted in the small group that chased the young ninja.

Wu looked back and looked even more alarmed when the two he was with were no longer in front of him, "Guys!?" He could hear the enemies drawing nearer.

Suddenly a pair of hands grabbed him by the collar and yanked him up. "You little shit! I told ya to go faster!" Garmadon quietly cursed at him. Misako was on a higher limb, body limp on her perch as she wiped her sweaty face.

"Sorry…" Wu wheezed. "I'm sorry… you should have left me behind…" he nodded, not bothering to argue because all three were exhausted. White hot pains were shooting through his chest and around his ribs; heart pumping so hard he swore it would burst.

"We leave for the city in ten minutes…" Misako puffed, throat dry from the run. "We have to report back on what we saw…" She took out a canteen from her belt.

"Skulkin and Serpentine working together?" Kasai's jaw dropped. "How can that be? They hate each other…"

Namiko nodded in agreement with her husband, a fidgety Kai in her arms, "Yea, Delilah's journal even said it would take a miracle for them to ever join forces…"

Tanaka was the most silent one of them all, teeth set on edge. Unlike the other five arguing about what they saw or what was going on, he was thinking. "Maybe they didn't join entirely on their own… there could be a third party or more in the mix that is creating some kind of alliance…"

"Yea… but what?" Garmadon rolled his crimson eyes, irritated by the blanket statement. "What army or group could be helping exactly?"

Wu was reading through the journal, eyes looking down the long table of contents. "What about this army?" he put the book down. "Kirchon and the Six Armed Army…" he read the page header out loud.

Everyone exchanged glances, "Possible…" Misako sighed. "But how come we have never seen or heard of those things?" she frowned at the hideous humanoid like men. "Six arms… how ridiculous… I thought Samukai was silly with four… this really takes the cake…"

"Says they were banished to the Lonely Isles of the North… that's like… a frozen tundra though!" Namiko pointed to the second paragraph and started reading;

_Kirchon was an old foe of mine and Masuta's. With his army of tough warriors, he invaded the north region of Ninjago where many villages were destroyed and even more killed. A force not to be reckoned with, we used our magic and banished them to the isle far off the north coast to freeze to death. Though they are rather primitive, they are very adaptable so it is possible they could survive. _

"Has to be it then," Kasai shrugged. "Only other army here anyways… so what are we going to do about this? Masuta's been on a hunt for Arcturus and we're all Ninjago has left…"

"Well we have a war that's obviously going to start… we don't know when… but it will… and soon if you ask me…" the woman with the glasses shut the book and put it back in her bag. "We know there's already a lot of activity and people have gotten hurt as it is…" she trailed off.

"So? What? What do you think we should do?" Wu asked, seeing she was hesitant of saying something that was obviously on her mind.

Misako looked back, "Well… I think we should call the mayor of the city… and we'll have to start creating an army of our own…"

"You can't be serious!" Garmadon shouted. "We have three total badass armies of supernatural creatures with pretty much an unlimited set of skills and what do we have!? A bunch of us stupid humans are gonna go and fight them? Only us six can use Spinjitsu Mim!"

Misako started looking irritated and glared at the others who started to side with her husband, "So what? The six of us take on an entire army? We can't do it by ourselves! If it was one army alone it might be different but this is thousands… tens of thousands maybe of mythical creatures? Masuta had trouble with one stone army back in his day! And he's the creator of Ninjago for gods' sake!"

Her hands slammed down on the table, irritated more so now, "The element of earth chose me… and the element of earth is destined to be the leader of the other elements, so for once in you stupid lives can you trust and do as I say without debating like this?"

The other five went silent.

Each one glances at the others and sat down silently. "Sorry…" Garmadon quietly mumbled. "You're right…" That and he hated when she yelled like that.

"You have our trust and always have…" Tanaka nodded in agreement. "We were wrong to question your decision Misako…"

The green eyed woman stood up straight and slowly started to nod along, "Good…" she swallowed. "Thank you for listening…" She pushed her glasses up on the bridge of her nose and cleared her throat. "First things first we must get a hold of Masuta… and then… three should investigate the north while three stay here and keep the Skulkin and Serpentine in check…"

"Kasai and I will stay here and hopefully the master will return soon," Namiko volunteered the two. "We shouldn't leave Kai behind anyways… his second birthday is coming up…"

Misako nodded, "Yes, don't miss that… I'll go North… which two will join me?" she barely got the words out before Garmadon stood up before she could finish the sentence. She chuckled and nodded, "Okay then…" she looked at Wu," No offense Wu… but Tanaka did survive weeks in the freezing cold… and he is the ice ninja…"

Wu held his hands up, "No problem, I hated the cold last time we went to Yosho anyways," he sat back in his chair.

"Pack some supplies and we'll leave early tomorrow morning… we should be gone for a couple of weeks at the most so don't hold your breath," the older woman ran her fingers through her wavy hair that fell from its braid in her rant. "I can take as long as I can off from work… not like the fossils will be gone by the time I get back right?"

The six broke to do the tasks at hand.

**Boss lady Misako getting shit done. I always imagined she'd be the leader... earth is so befitting for her, don't you think? She always seemed like the more stable one out of the trio on the show... even in Rebooted, Garmadon still would be fire... (then I think back to Avatar about controlling fire and not wanting to hurt people like Aang?)**

**Kirchon was an interesting character in Stone Cold. I was saving him for much later in this story because hey; he has a kick ass army that could do a lot of devastation. I like a nice climax as villains get harder and harder, ya know?**

**Who knows, maybe the Overlord will show up hahaha... jk no way will I do that... he needs to stay on the Dark Island where he belongs because that's the first time Garmadon ever sees him, or... even heard of him really... judging also by what Wu and Misako were saying. **

**Long a/n sorry XD Thanks for reading and I promise a new Halloween fic update soon! Plus this weekend, my bestie Robyn is staying with me (she's coming in like... 2 hours!) so prepare for some more update gaps in all stories. **

**~Mar**


	45. I Spy

"Almost to the top!" Tanaka looked down at the couple who was taking a bit longer to catch up to him. Sometimes he forgot that he grew up climbing in the cold with his family. "Take your time!" he sat with his legs dangling off the ledge, keeping an eye on them to make sure they wouldn't need help.

Misako felt her fingers getting stiff as she clung to the footholds Tanaka made for them so it'd be easier. "Almost there…" she kept telling herself. Her frosted breath kept blurry the lens of her glasses. Garmadon made it up first being she was tied to his waist.

Tanaka and Garmadon grabbed one arm each and pulled her up on more solid ground. The small overhang they would sleep under for the night blocked the wind so they would freeze to death. "Damn it's still freezing…" Garmadon sparked a fire with his fingertips and lowered the mouth mask.

Misako stiffly leaned against his side, to numb to even shiver with him. "Well we've been climbing for two days… the next village over from my home town, Iccerius, is on the other side… it's surrounded by lots of trees so it'll be less windy than out in the open like this…"

"Good…" Misako coughed and tried to sit up.

"Here let me help…" Garmadon slipped his and her gloves off. Warmth spread throughout her small body and she felt at normal body temperature again. He was lucky to have fire be his element. It came in handy for the freezing cold weather.

"Good to have a fire ninja like you I guess," she laughed and kissed his cheek before he started slipping the gloves back on.

Tanaka busied himself with the thermal sleeping bags so they can get their rest. "Just be careful in the dark… don't want to uh… roll over the side… or if you try and get the fire going again…" the black haired man looked down at the long climb it was up to where they were now. "Happened to my other uncle when I was a kid…"

"Ouch…" Garmadon looked over the side with him. He didn't want to think about stepping wrong in the dark.

"Yea… I always get nervous on edges like this ever since…" Tanaka scratched the back of his head. "Well come on, We start out at five tomorrow…"

The couple half groaned and slipped into their own bags right next to each other, falling asleep as soon as their heads hit the hard ground.

* * *

"Skulkin at three o'clock…" Kasai looked through the binoculars he pulled out.

"How many?" Wu ran the stone along his katana, sharpening it and looked up at his friend in the tree limbs above his head.

The black haired ninja in brown and orange tilted his head from side to side, "I'd estimate about… uh… say twenty? Give or take?" he tried to count. "I can't tell! They keep moving!"

"Quiet will you!?" Wu hissed and climbed up to sit with him, sheathing the sword in his back holder. "Okay how about we estimate twenty five since I know you suck at counting this stuff?"

"Bet I can cut more heads off than you can!" Kasai jumped to the next tree and Wu started after him, squabbling along the way about who was the better ninja like Wu and his brother use to do. For a pair of thirty year olds, they were still quite childish.

"Sh!" Wu stopped. Kasai almost fell face first off, but Wu pulled him back by his brown collar. "Two scouts right below us… don't move…" They both slowly looked down.

"You hear something?" a gruff voice asked.

"Up there but it might be a squirrel… or one of those stupid snakes playing a mean old trick on us!" The other started walking again, shoving the other one to the side.

The two men silently counted to three and dropped down on top of the two scouts, causing them to break apart into dismembered pieces. "HEY!" the first one angrily shouted. Wu clapped his hand over skeleton's mouth, prompting Kasai to do the same with the other.

"HEEELP!" the screamed, muffled against the hands of the young men who were frantically trying to get them to shut up.

"For a ninja raised by the master ninja and the creator of this world; you suck!" Kasai hissed, fed up with having mission turn out like this.

Wu glared back, "Maybe if it wasn't being tailed by a street brat-OUCH!" Wu hissed seeing the skull had bitten his hand. He dropped it abruptly.

"Ow!" the skull shouted next.

"I heard screaming over here!" more Skulkin voices came along with footsteps.

"Shit…" Kasai rolled his head back and tossed the skull over his shoulder as if it wasn't even alive and started to climb the trees again. "Come on Wu! I heard the last time you and Garmadon went on a spy mission you almost died!"

Wu frowned, "Yea… no need to remind me…" he grumbled, having to remember his brother and Misako having to save his behind over and over again over the years. "So… what do we have to actually report back on?"

Kasai frowned as well at the question, "Uh… that the skeletons are camping closer and closer to inhabitant towns and the city?" The blue eyed ninja blinked, eyebrow twitching up a little and Kasai growled, "How the hell should I know?! You let the thing bite you and gave us away!"

"I wouldn't have gotten bitten if you didn't want to stay instead of hiding like what I wanted to do!" Wu rolled his eyes. "Come on… we can't lead them back to the monastery… so let's just keep quiet-"

Something black that blended with the dark foliage grabbed Wu and then Kasai, tearing through the trees and plants. "Nice to see you Wu…" a voice mewed tauntingly. "Where's that hot older brother of yours blondie?" she giggled.

Both men groaned loudly. "You kidding me? Are you frikkin kidding me?!" Kasai's voice escalated with irritation. "You were locked up _again _years ago with Sigan!"

"Deadly Four was sprung out by Samukai and his allies to aid in the plans… for starters… hunting you ninja down so you interfere…" Hatsu took the Mask of Malice off. There were taught lines around her eyes but she still managed to keep herself looking basically the same.

"When you cut us down, we come right back up," the mask laughed. And he seemed to be the same in everyway.

Hatsu's wings folded up behind her, "Now… I reckon that Sigan is taking care of the three who went north, right Malice?" she stood up and uncoiled her strange looking whip, talking to her artifact.

"Yes, Kappa is looking for the last remaining girl… so far she had no luck".

Kasai grinned, "Good old Nami…" Hatsu looked down with a sneer and put the Mask of Malice back on. "Alright, let's get you back to the Skulkin camp," she snapped her whip. "One hit from my whip and you won't be able to move for hours…" she kicked them, "Now since I don't want to have to drag your carcasses all the way there; move it scum".

The two glanced at one another, "Ninja-GO!" Hatsu's wings spread and she threw her whip around, uncoiling it.

* * *

Tanaka caught Misako when she slipped down the rest of the way. "Gotcha…" he smiled, fingers clamped around her wrist.

"Thanks…" Misako dusted the white powder off her snow suit, planting her feet on the ground and looked back. "Ya coming?" she blinked, eyes skirting the snowy landscape for any sign of her husband. "Garmadon?!"

"Gang way!" The two ninja at the bottom threw themselves aside in time so Garmadon wouldn't run them over when he slid down the slope.

"What the hell was that?!" the female of the trio growled. "You could have ran us over!"

He laughed, "But I didn't…" he ran over and pulled them up. "You two have good reflexes so lucky me". He kissed her lips quickly.

Misako rolled her green eyes and yanked her arm back, "Yea… lucky for you, you didn't kill your wife and best friend…" She started laughing though at the goofy face he made. She lifted her hand and kissed his cheek before he threw her down and shoved her in the snow, she tried to fight back.

Tanaka shook his head, knowing that if he went ahead, they would have to follow him to they'd get lost, so he started ahead again, "Come! Almost there you two! Then maybe we can some real food!"

The couple looked in his direction, feeling hungry all of a sudden and started after him through the pine trees as fast as they could. "Wait up!"

**I had to cut this one down a little... it went way too long... I mean really long... So I split a couple of scenes to the next chapter... So they'll be split up for a while... **

**Thanks a bunch for reading ^-^ **

**~Mar**


	46. Tailed

Namiko looked out of the window with her sleepy son on her lap. "Something the matter?" Masuta quietly asked.

She slowly nodded, "Don't know what but… we have an unwanted guest I believe…"

The Spinjitsu Master nodded and rose from his seat. Namiko rested Kai down on the couch cushions and pulled out her fans, looked around; standing behind Masuta who gripped the sword of fire tightly. A trail of slime was on the cobbled stone pavement, Namiko of course recognized it.

"You can fight her with me or go to your son…" Masuta offered her the choice. She whipped open the fans he gifted her with many years ago with a smile and they stepped out together. "Kappa the siren…"

"Right… should have figured the Spinjitsu Master would be protecting the runt of the litter…" she hissed through her fangs.

* * *

Misako, Garmadon, and Tanaka all sat around the fire in the inn they were staying at. Once they said they were ninja; they were happily welcomed if it meant preventing a massive war. The one clothed in lavender opened a map that was stashed in his bag.

"Anything behind the town, I don't know by heart, so I'll need this…" he unfurled it. "Now… a couple of miles further north is the coast, the ice is broken around this time of year so we can use a boat naturally…" Misako and Garmadon looked over his shoulder, paying close attention. "So these islands are really dangerous by what my grandfather was saying… he's been there before on a fishing trip years ago…"

"So he never saw one of Kirchon's men?" Garmadon asked.

Tanaka shook his head. "No… so we could be wrong in thinking there could be a third party… or at least the third party is not them anyways… but we shall leave in the morning after we've rested…" he rolled the map back up and stowed it away again.

Misako took off her jacket, feeling warmer again. "Well… okay, but we need to make sure no one follows us… there could be all kinds of spies around here…" her emerald eyes looked around the partially crowded inn. No one seemed to be suspicious or wanting to kidnap them. Still, the three stood up and walked up the stairs to the rooms they were staying in.

Though the place was heated, they might as well been frozen down to their bones. Misako continued to shiver under the blankets, still wearing her turtleneck and thermals. "Honey, can you warm me up please?" she yawned, turning her head back to look at her husband.

Garmadon sighed and wrapped his arms around her, using his element to raise his body temperature and transfer it to her. "I should start charging you for this…" he chuckled and kissed her cheek.

"Mmm…" she snuggled closer to him under the thick comforter. "I love that you're the fire ninja…" she laughed too. "I'll pay you back for sure when we get back home…" she winked.

"If we even have time with your whole… "Raise up an army" thing," he muttered, burying his face in her unraveled hair.

Loud footsteps came from the hall outside their room and but they didn't think much of it until the room next door emitted a huge crash, that no doubt woke plenty of others up. The couple sat up and looked at one another, getting o their feet and running into Tanaka's room.

The gray eyed ninja was pinned to the ground, someone else's hand at his throat. He had pale, off white skin and long, shaggy black hair that swept down his forehead to cover his glowing cerulean eyes. "Si…" Tanaka choked out. "It's…" he gasped.

The attacker's blue eyes glowed brighter and of course further revealed who it was. "You bastard…" Misako suddenly felt a wave of rage that she hadn't felt in several years. "You murdering…" she clenched her teeth. "How the hell did you find us?"

She went to step closer but Sigan started squeezing Tanaka's throat tighter. He held up a finger, "No no… not one more step…" Tanaka tried to wriggle but the time ninja was far too limber. "Arcturus freed my comrades and I to be his assassins… Hatsu should have the blonde and his friend by now… but I followed you here because you know too much".

"The years haven't done you well…" Garmadon and Misako slowly stepped, circling the rogue ninja. Gray was laced through the older one's once pure raven black hair. "So… have you given up murdering innocent babies?" red eyes pulsating brighter than Sigan's blue ones.

Sigan scoffed, "Well now I'm no murder…" he chuckled and glared down at Tanaka, "Just a psychopath". His pale lips stretched in a twisted grin they all knew. "Unless you pathetic ninja have another child I could take from you…"

Tanaka's hands were trying to wrench the others from his throat. His gray eyes connected with the other two's which prompted a smirk from Garmadon as he pounced, throwing the time ninja off the ice one. They were both strong, fighting for the upper hand as they wrestled on the floor. "Better watch it; I can age you till you're skin and bone you fool". Sigan tried to slip his gloves off.

Misako marched forward with her scythe, past Tanaka, still trying to catch his breath. She took the sickle part of her scythe and smacked Sigan across the floor. "Do I have to break your jaw again!?" she threw back at him. This further angered him and his launched himself at her next. "Don't you dare hit my husband!" she shouted as his hand gripped the rod of her scythe, pushing it more against her throat so she couldn't move again.

"Wanna go _again_ bitch? I caught you last time; remember?" he laughed. "I'm all ready for you now… You are rather pretty for scumbag ninja… maybe after I kill your husband I should have some fun before I kill you!" he chuckled.

"GET YOUR FILTHY HANDS OFF MY WIFE!" Garmadon yelled furiously and went after him again with his bare hands.

Finally Tanaka also got up, helping Garmadon drag the assailant around the room and throwing him into the wall; head first. "We need to leave now!" Tanaka started grabbing his bag and other warmer clothes.

The married couple followed suit and grabbed their things, running out and into the cold, hastily trying to put their snow gear back on.

* * *

"I think I can finally move my left hand…" Wu whispered to Kasai.

The young men were now tied back to back. Hatsu was busy, leaving the Mask of Malice to watch over them. Wu had managed to get the mask talking about something with the occult or whatever while the two were trying to escape. Currently, the mask was looking away from them because Hatsu, though evil, was not all that bright and left him facing the other way. She most likely thought that her stun serum was still paralyzing them.

"But Wu… you're right handed…" Kasai sighed. Another thing; these two were not the best option for Ninjago's heroes at this very moment.

Wu looked back at his brown eyed best friend. "Oh…" he sighed. "Well… can _you_ get your right hand out?" he quietly asked, catching glimpses of the one who was meant to be watching them. "I have a secret knife stashed away in my-"

"Do I wanna know Wu?" Kasai cut him off abruptly.

"I was gonna say between my belt there's a secret sheath I added for a case like this but… hey man, whatever you wanna-"

"Wu!" Kasai cut him off again. "Okay I get it…" he wriggled his hand. "I think I got it loose…" he set his teeth together, trying to contort his arm in a bit of an unnatural way. "I think I got it…" he whispered. Slowly but surely, the blacksmith and ninja started cutting away at the ropes while feeling was being restored after getting hit with Hatsu's whip.

* * *

Wind whipped around the three as the struggled to run against it. Finally they stood on the edge of the half frozen ocean. Staring off at the faint outline of where they wanted to be. "And of course all the ships will be docked because of this storm…" Tanaka sighed.

Garmadon tapped his foot, trying to think of something. "Wait a minute…" he took another step ahead.

His wife gave him a quizzical look. "What? What is it? Do you have an idea?"

"Sort of?" Garmadon sheepishly grinned. He always seemed to devise half plans to the other's constant annoyance. "Well… I uh… sort of stole these from the library back at the monastery because I thought they would come in handy… I've been practicing them for a couple of weeks…" He pulled something out to show his wife and friend.

"Teleportation magic?" she took her snow goggles off to try and read them. "You sure about this? It takes forever to master…"

"Let's give it try?" Garmadon asked.

"We could end up in the heart of a volcano! This is dangerous!" Tanaka chimed in, agreeing with Misako.

Garmadon pointed at the other male, "No one asked for your two cents Fugiyoka…" he looked back at his wife, "It's the only thing we have…"

She looked up at his red eyes, the ones that made all know he was cursed. She chewed the inside of her lip, thinking about it. All he wanted was for her to trust him. She did… just not with this… did that still count? Probably not because this could be a life or death situation where it really counts… still…

"Okay screw it… let's do it…" she tossed him the scroll back and he smiled gratefully at her.

Tanaka's eyes darted back and forth between the two, "I'm sorry what?" he didn't know why Misako would risk something so dumb.

"Come on!" Misako grabbed her friend's hand and then her husband's. "Whenever you're ready…"

He looked gratefully at her. "Well…" he coughed. "Here goes nothing…"

* * *

Namiko ducked and jumped. It was like Kappa didn't have a backbone; that was how limber she was. Namiko blocked with her fans. The siren had poison spikes in her scaly patches, all the more dangerous.

Masuta blocked her way and Kappa hissed in anger at him. "We need all six…" her tail appendage swished back and forth. Though she could not beat the powerful back; he left an opening. She sprayed a poison, hitting Masuta, and the slimy creature slinked away, knowing she was beaten.

Namiko raised her hands that started glowing gold. "You know… I can't stay alive forever Nami…" the sensei watched her work her magic. "I have to leave sometime…"

"Oh don't say that…" the young woman smiled. "It's our job to take care of you… you're like a father to me…" she smiled softly.

"Mama!" Kai waddled out, landing in her lap. "Mama k?" he blinked.

"Mama's just fine…" she ticked him a little and kissed his face several times. "Now come on master…" she helped the much older man up and they walked back inside. Suddenly, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. "Wait a minute… Kasai and Wu should have been back…" she plopped Kai down and turned, running out of the gates without letting Masuta get a word in.

He looked down at the toddler and chuckled, picking him up. "You're mother's a stubborn one young Kai…" he saw the gates slam shut. "She's a tough one…"

* * *

The black and blonde haired men sat back to back, still unable to do a thing because they forgot, their legs were still asleep, though most feeling returned to their other limbs. That's when Kappa came slinking back to the small base camp Hatsu was watching over. They craned their necks over to try and see from their current position what was going on.

"What is it now?" Hatsu turned around with an unhappy look on her pale face. She folded her arms, popping a hip to the side.

The scaly one shook her head, gills on her neck opening and closing fast as she breathed. "The stupid master was at the monastery! I thought you said he was away! He was with the last one and the kid…" she looked exhausted.

"You dare blame me?"

Wu looked back at Kasai with a bit of smile. His best friend looked entirely relieved his wife and son were safe after all. "Now we just gotta get back…" Wu whispered. "And I don't have any ideas still…"

**Oh look I made a reference to Destiny of Doom! It's revealed Garmadon can teleport in that so I thought "hey let's show some of that!" **

**I'm really happy I ended up writing in more than just our three main trio... looking at this whole story... I've found I love writing Wu and Kasai stuff... they're just both dorks XD **

**Thanks for reading! Believe it or not we still have a ways to go XD Hope to see you in the next update ;)**

**~Mar**


	47. Always Running

"Oh gods I can't believe that really worked…" Garmadon fell back on his bottom in relief. Tanaka and Misako started moving ahead when he waved his arms. "No! Time out! I call time out!" he sat back. "Oh man that took a lot out of me…"

Misako groaned and grabbed her husband's arm, "But Sigan will catch up eventually! He always does!" she tried dragging him. Even with the strength her element gave her, he still was six foot three and was most likely more than double her own weight; that; and he was being stubborn. Her hands slipped though and she fell back on a pile of snow.

Garmadon started laughing just to annoy her even more. Tanaka shook his head and sighed, sometimes he regretted tagging along when the two were together, though he had to admit, they could be quite amusing with their spats. "Misako is right; we must hurry if we are to find out if the army is still alive! Up up! Both of you!"

"Fine…" they sighed together and forced themselves to get up.

It was a long a trek, but at least the climbing was behind them. They could hike up the sheer mountains that were on the island, but it wasn't necessary. The only problem was, the landscape was so white, that it was hard to make out what things where since it was more like a flat tundra, you could bump into a mountain and not realize it.

"I'm tired… can we take a breather?" Garmadon shouted over the wind.

Tanaka sighed to himself and nodded, "Okay, I think there's a cave or something around here…" they walked closer to the base of the mountains.

They finally found what they were looking for and slipped inside. Unfortunately; they were not alone.

A small group of men, taller than even Garmadon who all had six arms, stared down at the three ninja who swallowed. "Uh… Hi?" Garmadon nervously smiled.

* * *

Namiko listened to the two women argue back and forth on whose fault it was for her not being captured. She peered one eye around the tree she was behind and then saw her boys; Wu and Kasai still partially limp and dosing off while the Mask of Malice seemed to keep on talking.

Her padded feet made little to no noise as she sneaked around. She was surprised that the two's ropes were almost cut all the way through. She shook her head and pulled out her shikoro; cutting it the rest of the way. This motion woke them both up. "Nami?" Kasai yawned.

"Hiya," she pecked his lips quickly and looked at both of them. "So what's the deal? Can you not move?"

"Hatsu's poison whip has some long lasting affects…" Wu stretched his shoulders a little. "My right hand and feet are still limp…"

Namiko puffed out a breath and took her gloves off, healing them of the poison. "Come on…" she passed them some temporary weapons until they could snatch their own back. One thing no one could ever deny about Namiko; she was the most versatile in concealment weapons out of the six.

Silently the trio rose to their feet and started to move in to take down the other two. Kappa's fish like eyes glanced behind Hatsu and she gasped, "WATCH IT!" she shoved the other out of the way.

Gripped between her fingers, Namiko started swiping with her kobutan. "Don't ever try and take me from my son again!" she growled, puncturing the soft scaly part of Kappa's abdomen, making her hiss in pain and start to bleed. "We need to get out of here!"

"Yea! Sigan is going after Misako, Tanaka, and Garmadon!" Wu panted as they started running again. "Oh gosh why must our jobs require so much running!?"

"You sound like an old man!" Kasai laughed at the blonde ninja.

Hatsu was now occupied with a wounded Kappa. "Okay… so now we all know there are a bunch of assassins after us… what now? Do you really think that Kirchon's Army is still alive?" Namiko looked behind her at the two.

* * *

"Six… freaking… arms…" Garmadon clicked his tongue. "Six… mother… hugging… arms…" He shook his head. "How the hell is it… that I always end up in these positions? Hmm?" He looked back at the other two that were tied up with him. They were actively trying to ignore his rantings for the past twenty minutes. "Wu; he's the one that gets caught! Me? I am the hot one who always saves everyone else's ass!"

"Oh shut up…" his wife rolled her eyes, sick of hearing him talking. "I've saved you ass plenty of times when you failed to think things through!" She looked at the small group of warriors, going back to whatever they were doing before the three ran into them.

Tanaka was the only one actually working to get out, lucky for them; he was wearing a kakute under his gloves. He pulled the left one off and started slicing through the twine they were tied with. "So… just to make sure… what are we going to do when I cut out of these?" he kept his voice low.

Misako sat back against the wall, "Ask the master of show offness…" she nodded to her husband beside her.

He frowned and looked back at the warriors, "Hey dumbasses!" that got their attention. "Yea you with the gross faces!"

"Oh joy… make them mad why don't you?" Misako wished she could bring her hands to her face.

He ignored her and kept going, "You got a general yea?" They just looked at him, blinking. "Then why don't we get a chance to meet him?" He looked at the other two, "Right?" He bumped against his wife hard. They then understood it would just buy them some time to think of some other plan.

"Uh… yea!" Misako shouted, nodding her head a little bit.

The three turned towards each other again, garbling some other language not even Misako knew of. They then walked out threw another tunnel. The three ninja looked at one another, not sure what was going to happen now that they were gone.

Tanaka had cut his twine and proceeded to do Misako next, snapping the rope with his sharp ring weapon. They heard footsteps coming back and Misako and Tanaka pretended the twine was still around them. The general didn't look all the different from the others, but he did look like the warrior in Delilah's book.

"Why are you here?!" he gruffly asked. It appeared he was the only one who could speak English.

Tanaka and Garmadon both looked at Misako who cursed under her breath of how much she hated both of them. "Well…" she cleared her throat, "I shall get right to the point! You are the third army who is aiding the Serpentine and Skulkin yes? You are the ones that are the common ally? General Kirchon the Ravenous?"

"Who are you three?" he growled. Misako knew that she was right now. "Who dares to come here, searching for us?"

"I'm Misako Alexander; that's Tanaka Fugiyoka and Garmadon…" she smirked. "And we are the next masters of Spinjitsu".

Kirchon looked the three over, not sold on that statement. "Masuta the great god of Spinjitsu? Teach a bunch of mere children? Do not lie to me!"

"No seriously, he's my dad," Garmadon plainly stated. "You remember? Him and my mom banished you guys here? Delilah? Ring a bell?"

Kirchon scratched his black beard; looking down at the young brunette man tied up, "Ah so… they did have a child… You are the spitting image of that pathetic enchantress". Then he saw the red eyes and chuckled, "So you are the foretold curse one?"

Garmadon could practically feel his blood boil as he listened to Kirchon insult him and his mother. "Well yea? At least I don't look like a fool with six arms you bastard!" he snapped. Misako was personally hoping for this because he could sear through the ropes if he got angry enough.

"Better not make my husband mad…" Misako scooted a little away, "When you say things like that he gets really pissed…" she glanced down at the twine that started singing away. "In fact his element is fire…" she smirked again. Tanaka nodded, signaling he was ready. "Now!"

The trio broke into three Spinjitsu tornadoes and started running out of the cave, "Garmadon can you do that teleport thing again?" Tanaka looked back at their assailants and swallowed.

The red eyed ninja looked back as well and clenched his teeth, "I can try but don't get mad if we end up in the middle of the ocean!" he reached back and grabbed the other two's hands.

"Anywhere is better than here!" Misako panted. "Let's move it!"

"Quick; get them before they try anything!" Kirchon roared behind them. They would run faster if it were not for the thick snow they treaded through.

* * *

In a gold flash they disappeared as what happened the first time. It was a bumpy ride for them nonetheless, but when they reappeared, it was on top of three squirming figures in the middle of the forest. "What the-?" Tanaka rubbed his eyes.

"HEY!" they looked down and quickly got off of Kasai, Namiko, and Wu. "What the hell? How did you guys get here? You're still dressed for the arctic!" Namiko gestured to them.

Garmadon finally collapsed, falling asleep. Misako groaned and looked back, "Someone help us?" she and Tanaka had one arm around each of their shoulders. "We kind of have a lot to tell you guys…"

**Always running always saving... and so Kichon makes his debut! Shikoro, kobutan, and kakute are actual weapons btw, you can look them up :) They were some of the very many weapons that were easy for a ninja to conceal along with the kusari fundo/nun chucks and shurikans. **

**I've been doing some homework... hopefully I got it right to a degree... I have a historical AU and I was doing research on clothing and culture for mainly Japan, but China too... but that won't be for some time. **

**So... things get more interesting hmm? Thank you for reading :D And BTW, the story ain't over yet! XD**

**~Mar**


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